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View all search resultsIndonesia's leprosy elimination campaign faces uphill battle amid stigma, prejudice
The prevailing stigma and prejudice against Hansen's disease, better known as leprosy, present a steep challenge as the government embarks on an accelerated capaign to eliminate the disease by 2030.
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Former leprosy patient Harto sits in a wheelchair on Jan. 18, 2023, in front of his house in ‘kampung kusta’ (leprosy village) in Tangerang, Banteng. Residents of the densely populated neighborhood just outside of Jakarta are fighting to reclaim their dignity and future after battling for decades against the stigma and discrimination of leprosy, a curable but often neglected disease. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
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ndonesia aims to eliminate leprosy by 2030, but inadequate treatment as well as persistent stigma and discrimination continue to hinder progress, including by preventing people from seeking treatment for the curable infectious disease.
Leprosy, the common name for Hansen’s disease, is a chronic bacterial disease that dates back four millennia to its origins in either East Africa or the Near East, according to Institut Pasteur in Paris. Caused by Mycobacterium leprae, it is transmitted “via droplets from the nose and mouth during close and frequent contact with untreated cases”, reads a fact sheet from the World Health Organization.
Primarily affecting the skin, peripheral nerves and mucous membranes, the disease is curable using multidrug therapy, but can cause permanent disabilities if left untreated.
Al Qadri, a former leprosy patient from the nonprofit Leprosy Survivors Association (Permata), said stigma made people with the disease hide from society, preventing them from getting the care they needed.
“Stigma and discrimination are still very pervasive, but the most severe form is self-stigma. There are behaviors passed down through generations that consider leprosy a disgrace or a curse. This is difficult to break, especially in the patients themselves,” said Qadri.
“When they hide themselves and do not seek treatment, or are hidden by their families, their condition worsens and they can also transmit the disease to others,” he continued.
“In my view, this phenomenon still reflects how concerning the leprosy situation is” in Indonesia.
