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Minister launches new bid to eliminate stigma of leprosy
People should have a greater understanding of the causes of leprosy, its early symptoms and how to obtain the necessary medication to cure the disease, so they will no longer stigmatize those with leprosy, a minister has said
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eople should have a greater understanding of the causes of leprosy, its early symptoms and how to obtain the necessary medication to cure the disease, so they will no longer stigmatize those with leprosy, a minister has said.
'By understanding leprosy well, we will dare to associate with people with the disease, or those who have once suffered it,' Health Minister Nila Farid Moeloek said in Jakarta on Monday.
Better understanding leprosy is one of three approaches offered by the so-called 'Jakarta Resolution' to eliminate stigma and discrimination against people with leprosy.
Starting from a greater understanding of the disease, Nila said families and community leaders would be more aware of the need to bring leprosy patients to community health centers to get the necessary medication.
'By understanding leprosy, health workers will serve all patients with care and without discrimination,' said Nila.
She was speaking during the declaration of the Jakarta Resolution on this year's World Leprosy Day at the Health Ministry on Monday.
WHO representative to Indonesia Kanchit Limpakarnjanarat, International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP) president Jan Van Berkel, and Health Ministry director general for disease control and environmental health H.M. Subuh attended the event.
'This resolution can be used to eliminate stigma and discrimination in countries affected by leprosy,' said Nila.
In 2013, Indonesia ranked third in a list of countries with the highest number of leprosy sufferers, after India and Brazil.
According to WHO data, Indonesia recorded 16,856 new leprosy cases in 2013, in which the number of patients with a Grade 2 disability, or visible deformity, accounted for 9.86 percent of total new cases.
Leprosy is one of eight neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Indonesia, including filariasis, framboesia, dengue, helminthiasis, schistosomiasis, rabies and taeniasis.
In 2000, Indonesia achieved leprosy elimination at the national level; however, there are still 14 provinces with high burdens of leprosy, comprising Aceh, Banten, Central Sulawesi, East Java, Gorontalo, Maluku, North Kalimantan, North Maluku, North Sulawesi, Papua, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, West Papua, and West Sulawesi.
'Along with the leprosy elimination roadmap, it is targeted that the 14 provinces will achieve leprosy elimination in 2019,' said Nila. (ebf)(++++)
