“Leprosy treatment has not been maximal, as it still relies heavily on the Health Operational Assistance (BOK) funds from the state budget (APBN) through the Ministry of Health," he said in a written statement here on Friday.
According to him, the funds from both APBN and regional budgets (APBD) to treat leprosy in the region are very limited.
He called for stronger budget support from both central and regional governments to ensure leprosy handling programs meet expectations.
Adequate funding, he said, is needed not only for medication but also for strengthening healthcare worker capacity, improving service facilities, and optimizing early detection efforts.
“As a regional representative, I will push the Ministry of Health to allocate APBN support. The same goes for the local governments,” he added.
Aside from funding, frequent changes in health officials also disrupt the continuity of leprosy programs, which require consistency due to the disease’s infectious nature.
Many healthcare workers have raised this concern. "There is no training budget, and with every change in officials, the programs change as well,” Wamafma stated.
West Papua Health Office Head Alwan Rimosan reported 422 leprosy cases as of September 2023, including 254 new ones.
Some ongoing efforts to address this are by pushing the leprosy problem in the 2025-2029 Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD), ensuring medicine distribution, conducting outreach, and applying chemoprophylaxis.
Rimosan also mentioned some challenges, including a lack of trained personnel, minimal funding from districts, and incomplete reporting from Pegunungan Arfak, Kaimana, and Teluk Wondama Districts.
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Translator: Fransiskus, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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