REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Ministry of Health is launching a program named "Jakarta Resolution" on the commemoration of World Leprosy Day here on Monday to eliminate discrimination against leprosy.

"The resolution aims to eliminate the stigma and discrimination against leprosy for all the nations facing problems due to this disease," Health Minister Nila Moeloek stated.

The World Leprosy Day is commemorated every January 25th, and this year's theme is "Eliminating the Negative Stigma of Leprosy."

The Jakarta Resolution has three approaches, the first being to understand the community by making people-to-people contact with those affected by leprosy.

The second approach is to increase care and awareness among the families and public figures for leprosy sufferers by persuading them to undergo medical treatments.

In the meantime, the third approach is intended for medical workers to tend to leprosy patients without any discrimination.

Indonesia is the third country after India and Brazil with the highest number of lepers in the world in 2013.

In 2013, the leprosy cases in Indonesia reached 16,856, with 9.86 percent second disability level noted among the new cases.

Leprosy is one of the eight neglected diseases in Indonesia besides filaria, yaws, dengue, helminthiasis, schistosomiasis, rabies, and taeniasis.

"Indonesia has made progressive development in the health sector, however leprosy is still neglected," Moeloek said.

The 14 provinces reported to have serious leprosy cases are Banten, Central Sulawesi, Aceh, Southeast Sulawesi, East Java, South Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Maluku, North Maluku, Papua, West Papua, and North Kalimantan.

"According to the Leprosy Prevention Road Map, the 14 provinces will be free of the disease by 2019," the ministry claimed.

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