Central Java Governor Relies on 'Speling' Programme for Leprosy Screening

Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi has stated that leprosy is not a curse, but rather a disease for which treatment already exists. It therefore needs to be addressed through various programmes. His administration will mobilise district and city governments across the province to tackle the issue.

“Regents and mayors must be given targets; district and city governments must make a breakthrough for early detection of leprosy,” Luthfi said in a statement on Friday (10/7/2026).

He made the remarks on the sidelines of the 2026 National Leprosy Conference held at the Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel in Jakarta. On that occasion, Luthfi and other governors committed to accelerating the elimination of leprosy in their respective regions.

Luthfi explained that health offices, at both provincial and district/city levels, must provide treatment to sufferers. Eradicating leprosy must be done collectively and cannot be done alone.

He said the number of leprosy cases in Central Java remains high. A total of 1,541 cases were recorded in 2025, while in 2026 up to the second quarter there were around 837 cases.

The high number of detected cases shows that early detection to find leprosy survivors is reasonably good, so treatment can be carried out regularly and continuously.

For this reason, the Central Java provincial government will promote the Speling programme, which is already running, by adding leprosy screening. Quantitative data from each district and city will subsequently be collected at the provincial level for intervention.

Leprosy survivors will receive continuous, uninterrupted treatment. Treatment duration varies from 6 to 12 months, and in some cases up to 24 months. Treatment must not be interrupted, as survivors would otherwise have to start again from the beginning.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said leprosy is a disease caused by bacteria, and treatment is now available.

He also stated that leprosy is not transmitted as quickly as diseases caused by viruses. Once a leprosy sufferer is found, they must be treated immediately and continuously.

“The problem with leprosy is late detection, so to eliminate it, detection must be improved further. There is only one strategy: find as many cases as possible and then treat them,” he concluded.