Leprosy Countermeasure Efforts in East Java Province
On 23 September 2024, CHRM2 along with the No Leprosy Remains (NLR) agency (insert web https://nlrindonesia.or.id/) and the Regional Research Agency (BRIDA) of East Java Province held the Joint Deliberation Forum on the Urgency of Establishing a National Action Plan (RAN) and Developing a Regional Action Plan (RAD) for Leprosy Elimination to Achieve Leprosy-Free Indonesia and its Consequences. The event was attended by speakers including Prof. Dr. Yulianto Listiawan, a senior doctor from Universitas Airlangga, Dr. Halilul Khairi, the Dean of IPDN Management, Dr. Sulvi Anggraeni as the representative of East Java Provincial Health Office, and Dr Himawan Estu Bagio, senior researcher of BRIDA East Java. Discussions in this forum were attended by a cross-section of local governments from several districts in East Java. Participants included the Chairman of the Regional People Legilative Council of East Java Province (DPRD), the Chairman of the DPRD of a district with a high leprosy rate in the East Java region, Bappeda, the Health Department, the Social Services Department, and the Labour Department. Around 60 regional representatives attended and together discussed leprosy prevention in their regions. Given that East Java is the province with the highest leprosy rate in Indonesia, it is time for this to become a joint concentration of District Governments in the process of overcoming the disease. It is hoped that after this event, the district governments can work together with the relevant Regional Device Organisation (OPD) to form a RAD as a serious commitment to tackle leprosy.
Together with NLR, an NGO focusing on leprosy management, CHRM2 and BRIDA explored local programmes over the past 5 years related to leprosy management. Several districts such as Bondowoso, Sumenep, and Bangkalan also provided opinions regarding the lack of local government budget in tackling leprosy. It was highlighted that the high rate of leprosy in East Java is influenced by central government policies, particularly a lack of budget allocation which influences local government policies to no longer focus on leprosy control. Through this forum, it is hoped that in the future the Provincial and District governments in East Java will focus on leprosy prevention, so that by 2030 they can achieve leprosy elimination.