“KUSTA : SIAPA TAKUT ?”

Leprosy is an infectious and contagious disease caused by a germ
called Mycobacterium Leprae. Leprosy can be cured with several drugs. If
it is given early, it can prevent disability and the patient can recover
completely, but if it is treated too late, he will experience physical disabilities.
Even though they were declared cured, people with leprosy were still
shunned, not only by the surrounding community, but also by their families
because they were worried that they could infect the family. Rejection of
leprosy patients still occurs, so they are reluctant to return to their family
homes because they are embarrassed and prefer to stay in the hospital or
to a place where they feel comfortable and acceptable (leprosy village).
The study showed that after receiving services in an integrated,
comprehensive and sustainable care, the number of people with leprosy at
Dr. Tajuddin Chalid Central Hospital (RSUP. Dr. Tadjuddin Chalid)
Makassar has decreased, but former leprosy patients or commonly called
OPYMK (People Who Have Leprosy) have not been fully accepted by the
community based on the results of interviews and the results of
observations by researchers during the research. Until now, people still
think they are frightening, this is due to a lack of knowledge / understanding,
mistaken belief in leprosy and the disabilities it causes so that the existence
of public service advertisements is expected to be one of the solutions in
changing people's negative perceptions about leprosy and can minimize
resistance to OYPMK.