Health Information Center – CedrikaProvencher

In Indonesia, leprosy or leprosy is one disease that timeless era eaten. This disease remains entrenched, and change the lives of people who had dihinggapinya. One was Adi Yosep (31). Leprosy familiar to Adi and his family.

Initially, mother of Adi-people with severe leprosy-attack ranging from skin disorders on the face of the bump-bump up the nerve to attack the germs of the mother’s hand. A few years later, around 1997, Adi turn affected. White spot appears without any pain in his hands. “The sign had been there since junior high, but four years later was examined for the new widened,” he said.

Once diagnosed with leprosy, Adi free treatment at a clinic in the Holy City for a year and a full recovery. Despite the signs of leprosy in part disappeared, but the stigma as people with leprosy were recorded. Not many people know about leprosy. In the community is misrepresentation of leprosy as a curse, witchcraft, very contagious, and incurable. “In the past, my neighbors did not dare visit. If there is need, they talk through the window, “said the founder of the Society of Independent Leprosy.

Leprosy in Indonesia

The term leprosy comes from the Sanskrit, kushtha, which means a collection of skin symptoms in general. The disease is thought to have come from Africa or Central Asia that spread through migration, among others, during the war, colonization, and commerce. The discovery of germs of leprosy by Hansen GH in 1873 initiated the search for drugs and control of leprosy.

Skin specialists and sex of RSUPN Cipto Mangunkusumo, Sri Linuwih, said Monday (25 / 1), leprosy, including infectious disease transmission is difficult. Only about 5 percent of the infected. Weak body conditions as well as continuous contacts in a long time facilitate transmission of leprosy. Leprosy enclave especially in tropical and subtropical regions and related to socio-economic conditions of the low.

Early symptoms of leprosy, among others, abnormalities of white patches of skin, such as Tinea versicolor or reddish spots of numbness, not overgrown with hair, no sweat, no itching, and not sick. More marked symptoms of disability, such as could not close my eyes, even, until blindness, numbness in the palm of the hand and fingers kiting (tight circle), shortened, in fact, broken. Leprosy defects occur because the bacteria attacks the nerves. The condition is found in people with late-discovered and treated.

“The disease can be cured leprosy and the drug is free in health centers,” he said. Since 1982, Indonesia using the combination drug therapy (MDT) according to WHO recommendations.

In Indonesia, the old disease there is no cure and can be cured and hard to spread the total proved so difficult to eliminate. Director of Direct Control of Communicable Diseases Directorate General of Disease Control and Environmental Health (P2PL) Ministry of Health Iwan M Muljono say, at the end of 2008, recorded 17,441 new cases of leprosy.

The government recognizes the target has not been able to reach the people of leprosy poverty. National leprosy prevalence below 1 per 10,000 population, which is 0.94 per 10,000 population. However, other indicators missed target.

According to the global strategy of the World Health Organization (WHO) 2011-2015, indicators of success, among others, the proportion of lepers children under 5 percent and the proportion of people with disabilities new two-level less than 5 percent. In Indonesia, leprosy in children and 11.4 percent of new cases with disability levels of two 9.56 percent. Number of new discoveries 7.64 per 100,000 population, whereas the target under 5 per 100,000 population.

The lack of knowledge about the causes leprosy sufferers seek treatment too late, causing disability and potentially transmit the bacteria. The incubation period is long leprosy, could be more than 10 years and without causing pain sufferers often do not realize he was exposed to leprosy.

Iwan said the strategy is to hold a forward acceleration of activities with an integrated health service planning, intensive counseling, and the discovery of a passive sufferer. The presence of the officer in charge of special programs and intensive partnership development, particularly in high endemic areas, is also improved.

For Adi Yosep, who now works as a Program Director at the ASEAN Secretariat, The Nippon Foundation Program for Leprosy and Human Dignity Project, the elimination of leprosy is very important in development. “When exposed to leprosy, many sufferers dropped out of school or stopped working. They were embarrassed or severe disability that already resigned. Leprosy make people cut off their future, “he said.