Stigma Hampers Leprosy Management

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

A neighbor helps Abdurahman enter his home on Friday (6/9/2019) in the RT 1/RW 13 neighborhood community unit of Sitanala village in Karangsari district, Tangerang, Banten. The village, which is located behind Dr. Sitanala Hospital, is home to around 1,000 residents, 90 percent of whom are former leprosy patients who have chosen to stay in the area with their families after completing their treatment. People with leprosy and former leprosy patients continue to face social stigma and discrimination due to a lack of public awareness about the disease.

MAKASSAR, KOMPAS – The social stigma of people with leprosy and people who had leprosy is hampering leprosy management in the country. Disadvantaged people are more at risk of contracting the disease due to undernutrition, poor sanitation and low awareness of hygiene.

The stigma that leprosy is highly contagious, along with the disease’s visible symptoms, is at the root of the discrimination against people with leprosy and former patients. This also means that many people are unwilling to be examined for diagnosis and treatment, even if they are aware that have contracted the disease, which can lead to permanent disabilities. Those who have recovered from leprosy often find it difficult to secure jobs. Leprosy management is therefore not just a health issue, but also a socioeconomic issue.