June 2023. PerMaTa Sulsel-YDTI staff conducted a stigma survey that formed the social part of the MetLep medical research project of Gadjah Mada University and the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Jakarta, which is supported by the Leprosy Research Initiative (LRI). Our part was simply to collect data on the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of community members, health workers, people affected by leprosy and their close contacts in relation to leprosy, using an HP-based application. We formed four teams of two young people affected by leprosy each who, after initial training, interviewed 400 people in Pallanga and Bajeng sub-districts of Gowa. Thanks to their extraordinary commitment, they managed to meet the targets within a month, although there were considerable difficulties in locating the people affected by leprosy, as their addresses are not clearly recorded. But the PerMaTa teams are used to finding their peers and so they were able to overcome all obstacles. We are proud of our teams! People affected by leprosy are capable and effective enumerators and researchers!
