Dar Es Salaam, Jan 30 (IANS): Tanzanian health authorities on Sunday marked the World Leprosy Day and announced a new programme aimed at eliminating leprosy in the country by 2030.

Deputy Minister for Health, Godwin Mollel said the programme entailed the identification of all leprosy patients in the East African nation, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said the identification of leprosy patients will help the government treat the patients in efforts aimed at controlling the disease that affects the nerves, skin, eyes and lining of the nose.

"The identification of leprosy patients will be done from village to regional level, and it will help to create a database for the patients," Mollel added in the capital Dodoma.

He said the programme also entailed mass awareness of the disease by educating health workers and the public on how to control the disease.

"In Tanzania, we still have areas where leprosy is still prevalent," he added.