19. Partnership Netherlands Leprosy Relief www.dryaminleprosy.blogspot.com

Netherlands Leprosy Relief

The Netherlands Leprosy Relief (NLR) has been active in Indonesia since 1969. Initially support focused on small isolated projects in hospitals such as  the Dr. Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya or in some health centres in high endemic districts, for example in Maluku and Papua. The involvement steadily grew and at present NLR supports provincial leprosy control programmes in over 20 provinces and in some 4000 health centres in Indonesia, which means a direct involvement in 80% of Indonesia's leprosy problem. NLR also supports the National Leprosy Training Centre in Makassar (South Sulawesi) and the Leprosy Unit of the Indonesia Ministry of Health in Jakarta. In Surabaya NLR cooperates with the "Yayasan Kusta Indonesia", a local non-governmental organization active in the socio-economic field for (ex) leprosy patients and their families. Perdoski, the Indonesian Association of Dermatologists is also an important partner. 

Support is both technical and financial. Technical support was initially mainly provided through expatriate experts (doctors, physiotherapists etc), of which some 30 were employed in the country over the past 40 years. However, gradually the emphasis shifted to capacity building of local staff. This has resulted in the recruitment and deployment at present of ten local leprosy advisors. They are primarily involved in the technical guidance of the provincial Leprosy Control Programmes but some work in the specialized field of care and rehabilitation. To better facilitate, guide and channel its support, in 2000 the NLR established a Representative Office in Jakarta.

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