The prevention of leprosy related disability as an integral component of the government health delivery programme in Indonesia: perspectives on implementation

This paper presents a record of three interviews with groups of Ministry of Health personnel and consultants that took place in Jakarta, Indonesia in May 2012. Those contributing to the first interview were provincial and district supervisors with responsibility for leprosy. Those contributing to the second interview were consultants, three of whom were seconded to the Ministry of Health and one was a WHO consultant. A third interview was conducted with the Head and a technical staff member of the Sub Directorate of Leprosy and Yaws Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Indonesia. Leprosy control in Indonesia had been targeted for further enquiry after it became apparent, through an earlier survey of national programme managers and consultants, that the programme had been relatively successful in integrating POD into the government health delivery programme. The perspectives of significant representatives and actors in the national programme were recorded through the interviews undertaken in Jakarta. Limitations This report does not purport to be a study of integration of leprosy services in Indonesia. The perspectives of representatives and significant actors are offered here to enhance understanding of factors that contributed to POD becoming a routine component of general health care in Indonesia. It is also declared here that no independent verification of statements was undertaken and that the effectiveness of measures taken to integrate leprosy related POD has not been independently evaluated.