DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian health authorities on Sunday marked World Leprosy Day and announced a new program aimed at eliminating leprosy in the country by 2030.

Deputy Minister for Health Godwin Mollel said the program entailed the identification of all leprosy patients in the East African nation.

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," said Mollel in the capital Dodoma.

Mollel said the program 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 said.