| ■ Leprosy Cases Increase in Indonesia | 07.02.19 |
| Indonesia is the only country in the world where cases of leprosy are on the rise, says the World Health Organization. In 2005, there were 19,695 new cases of leprosy in Indonesia, compared with 16,549 new cases in 2004. However, the WHO said the prevalence of the disfiguring disease in Indonesia is less than one case per 10,000 population, which means leprosy is effectively eliminated in that country, Agence France Presse reported. The disease has also been effectively eliminated in most other parts of Asia. Two exceptions are East Timor and Nepal. Both countries have repeatedly missed target dates to eliminate leprosy. The WHO released the information after a meeting about eliminating leprosy and other tropical diseases. The meeting with donor agencies was held in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, AFP reported. "We hope that this meeting will increase political commitment from the governments of the member states and result in the intensification of efforts towards elimination of the disease," which is associated with poverty, Jai Narain, WHO director of communicable diseases, told reporters. ----- |