Indonesia still struggling with nationwide leprosy
Indonesia still struggling with nationwide leprosy
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia is facing daunting challenges in its efforts to
eradicate leprosy, which remains a serious health problem in 111
of its 440 regencies and mayoralties.
Director General of Communicable Diseases Umar Fahmi at the
Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that the government had set a
target of reducing the number of leprosy cases to under 1 in
10,000 people by 2005, but the fear of leprosy among people,
geography and lack of funds were great obstacles.
"Most lepers are found in relatively poor, densely populated
and remote areas, making it difficult to combat the disease.
There are also many other health problems that need more
attention than leprosy," Umar said at a media conference held to
mark World Leprosy Day, which falls during the last week of
January in Asia.
The health ministry recorded 19,805 lepers nationwide, a
figure that ranks Indonesia as the second Asian country with the
greatest number of leprosy cases, after India. Most cases are
found in East Java, Central Java, Jakarta, Nanggroe Aceh
Darussalam, South Kalimantan and South Sulawesi.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a prevalence rate
of leprosy at one per 10,000 people.
Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by the Mycobacterium
leprae bacillus, which can cause permanent physical deformities,
muscular atrophies and mutilations if medical treatment is not
given immediately. The disease can be transmitted through direct
contact and exposure over a long period of time, and has an
incubation period of two to five years.
The disease is curable with proper medication within a year
after it has been contracted.
Umar said the government had established the National Alliance
for Leprosy Eradication (ANEK) and had conducted the Rapid
Village Survey (RVS) involving local people to record leprosy
cases in isolated rural areas.
Medication for leprosy is provided free at community health
centers across the country, he said.
Farid Husain, the deputy Coordinating Minister for People's
Welfare in charge of health coordination and environment, said
the government had appointed several hospitals in Banten, South
Sulawesi, South Sumatra and East Java to provide free surgery for
lepers.
Many foreign institutions and non-governmental organizations,
such as the Netherlands Leprosy Relief, the Sasakawa Memorial
Health Foundation, the Leprosy Mission International and
Novartis, have contributed about 90 percent of the total budget
for leprosy eradication.
Director of Social Services and Rehabilitation for Disabled
People Irna Kurniasih at the Ministry of Social Affairs said the
ministry had resettled lepers in 23 special housing facilities
near hospitals that treat leprosy.
The ministry has also provided Rp 1.3 million (US$153) in
housing and annual aid to families of people suffering from
leprosy.
"We are discussing the possibility of providing more job
opportunities for them. The Ministry of Manpower and
Transmigration currently allows only a one percent quota to
disabled people," said Irna.
Leprosy cases in Asia
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Country Cases (Dec. 2002) Rate (/10,000)
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Bangladesh 8,143 0.53
Bhutan 33 0.50
India 344,377 3.22
Indonesia 19,805 0.92
Maldives 19 0.70
Myanmar 4,965 0.94
Nepal 7,291 3.02
Sri Lanka 1,639 0.86
Thailand 1,905 0.31
Timor Leste 249 2.93
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Source: WHO