No leprosy by 2000

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi: An accelerated target policy in South Sulawesi is expected to free the local people from leprosy by the year 2000, a local official of the Ministry of Health has said.

"The accelerated target policy is expected to stop the spread of leprosy in South Sulawesi," Dr. Udin Muhammad Muslaini, head of the South Sulawesi office of the Ministry of Health, told Antara over the weekend.

The province currently ranks fourth in Indonesia for the number of leprosy victims, with 4,000 people affected. The first is East Java, with 13,000 victims, followed by Central Java (9,000 victims), and Irian Jaya (5,000 victims).

Udin said that the number of leprosy victims in the province had already decreased dramatically. "In 1990 there were 15,000 victims registered here".(imn)