The Leprosy Mission Trust India (TLMTI)

The Leprosy Mission Trust India (TLMTI), founded in 1874 as the ‘Mission to Lepers’ by an Irishman named Wellesley Cosby Bailey, is the largest leprosy-focused non-governmental organisation (NGO) in India. TLMTI is registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and is headquartered in New Delhi, India. The organisation works with people affected by leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), people with disabilities, and marginalised communities. TLMTI has a diverse set of programmes, namely, Healthcare, Sustainable Livelihood, Community Empowerment, Advocacy and Communication, and Research and Training. These programmes are implemented through 14 hospitals and two clinics, six vocational training centres, five residential care homes for elderly persons affected by leprosy, nine community empowerment projects, and a molecular research laboratory, spread across 10 states of India. TLMTI celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2014. What was started in 1874 for giving shelter to persons considered as ‘outcasts’ at a time when there was no cure for leprosy has become India’s largest leprosy-focussed non-governmental organisation (NGO). Presently, TLMTI has around 900 staff working in various capacities in its institutions and projects. It is a member of The Leprosy Mission Global Fellowship.