At GLRA India, we are committed to advancing knowledge and finding innovative evidence-based solutions to combat leprosy and positively impact marginalized populations. Our current research focuses on a variety of leprosy-related topics, primarily in the medical, operational, and social fields. We recognize the social stigma associated with leprosy and its impact on the lives of affected individuals. Through social and behavioural change research, we strive to reduce stigma, promote community integration, and improve the psychosocial well-being of those affected by leprosy. We conduct collaborative studies with various national and international stakeholders in the field of leprosy, global health, and social sciences.

Further, we actively encourage and promote research in the field of leprosy amongst various international educational institutions to have a global exchange on the disease. Every year we supervise international and national postgraduate students to conduct reviews, and qualitative and quantitative studies on various topics in leprosy including comparative analysis of case detection activities and outcomes in high and low endemic regions, effectiveness of various digital tools in diagnosis of skin NTDs, barriers and enablers in SDR-PEP implementation, impact of gender-based violence on persons affected by leprosy etc.

One of our key ongoing interventional studies is “Challenging Stigma and Promoting Social Inclusion through Participatory Story-telling approaches” to empower persons affected by leprosy and to combat internalized and societal stigma through educative participator videos.