Leprosy still widespread in 111 regencies<\/p>\n
Debbie A. Lubis
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The public's belief that leprosy is incurable, their ignorance of
\nthe medical treatment's available and their prejudices against
\nthe sufferers are three major contributors to a rise in the
\nnumber of leprosy cases in some of the country's regencies, an
\nofficial said.<\/p>\n
"Most of the people who suffer from leprosy do not have
\nadequate information about the disease and its treatment. In
\nfact, they can get free medicine for leprosy at their local
\ncommunity health centers (Puskesmas)," Sri Hastuti Suparmanto,
\nacting director general of community health at the Ministry of
\nHealth, said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Sri was speaking during preparations for World Leprosy Day,
\nwhich will be observed on Jan. 26.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has declared itself successful in reducing the
\nincidence of leprosy to one case among 10,000 people since July
\n2000.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the incidence of leprosy is reportedly rising in
\n111 out of 371 regencies in 12 provinces. These regencies have
\nreported more than one leprosy case for every 10,000 people.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Health recorded that there were 17,137 people
\nacross the country suffering from leprosy as of December 2001.
\nSome 72.25 percent of these sufferers lived in East Java, West
\nJava, South Sulawesi, Central Java, Papua and Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The data also showed that some 8,692 newly-detected leprosy
\ncases emerged during the January to September period last year.<\/p>\n
Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which attacks the
\nperipheral nerves and skin of sufferers. It can leave the
\nsufferer crippled or cause deformities and ulceration on their
\nbodies.<\/p>\n
Sri said that leprophobia -- public fear of leprosy sufferers
\n-- had impeded leprosy-elimination programs around the country as
\nsufferers were reluctant to seek medical assistance.<\/p>\n
"Many leprosy sufferers die not because of the disease but
\nbecause of a level of social stigma that sufferers cannot bear.
\nThis stigma also hampers the provision of medical treatment," she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
People in some parts of the country still believed that
\nleprosy was inherited, highly contagious, incurable, or related
\nto black magic.<\/p>\n
Hardyanto, chairman of the Indonesian Association of
\nDermatological and Sexually Transmitted Disease Specialists
\n(Perdoski), said that leprosy was curable and its crippling
\ndeformities and ulcerations could be prevented as long as the
\ndisease was detected at an earlier stage and the sufferers took
\ntheir medicine regularly and continuously.<\/p>\n
He said that patients at the early stages of leprosy received
\nMultidrug Therapy (MDT), a combination of three kinds of drugs,
\nwhich would cure the disease within between six months and 12
\nmonths.<\/p>\n
Hardyanto, who is also the dean of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah
\nMada University's medical school, said that the disease was not
\nhighly contagious although its transmission was through direct
\ncontact and the air through coughing and sneezing.<\/p>\n
The incubation period for the bacterium could be as much as 40
\nyears in unusual cases, or as little as two.<\/p>\n
Hardyanto cautioned doctors to be meticulous in diagnosing
\nleprosy as in the earlier stages leprosy often displayed similar
\nsymptoms to other dermatological diseases.<\/p>\n
Infected people usually have skin lesions, and white or red
\ndiscolorations on the skin of their faces, ears, arms or legs.<\/p>\n
Hardyanto, however, admitted that there were only a few
\ndermatologists willing to work in the regions. He said that 200
\nout of 450 Perdoski members worked in Jakarta while the others
\npreferred working in big cities like Medan, Palembang, Surabaya,
\nBandung or Makassar.<\/p>\n
Haikin Rachmat, director of communicable disease control at
\nthe Ministry of Health, said that to support leprosy elimination
\nin the country, his office would provide special training for
\nPuskesmas workers in those regencies that had a high incidence of
\nleprosy cases.<\/p>\n
He added that his office would also cooperate with the Navy to
\nvisit small and remote islands in a bid to ensure that the people
\nthere were informed about leprosy and its treatment.<\/p>\n
Regions with a high incidence of leprosy<\/p>\n
Region Incidence Leprosy cases<\/p>\n
(per 10,000 people)
\n1. Papua 5.99 1,266
\n2. N. Maluku 5.22 427
\n3. Maluku 2.43 481
\n4. S. Sulawesi 2.29 1,782
\n5. Aceh 1.76 704
\n6. N. Sulawesi 1.54 433
\n7. Jakarta 1.41 1,185
\n8. S. Kalimantan 1.40 417
\n9. C. Sulawesi 1.32 272
\n10. E. Java 1.26 4,344
\n11. S. E. Sulawesi 1.15 204
\n12. E. Nusa Tenggara 1.14 447<\/p>",
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