Investigating the Effectiveness of Traditional Healers in Program to Control Leprosy in Nagan Raya District in Aceh

Aceh Province had the highest rate of leprosy in Indonesia; in 2014, 436 new Multibacillary cases
were reported. Nagan Raya was the District in Aceh with the highest number of cases; new cases in
2015 comprised 26 with Paucibacillary (PB) and 21 with Multibacillary (MB) with a total of 4.26% with
Grade II disability. The phenomena of handling and treatment by the people in Nagan Raya involve
treatment by traditional healers, “Tabib”, to treat the leprosy, with treatments known as Peundang
locally. The purpose of this study was to find out and to take steps to improve the effectiveness of the
Tabib in controlling leprosy in Nagan Raya. The main object of this study, which used a quasiexperimental
design, was to find out and to improve the treatment of leprosy patients by the Tabib
who treat them there. Data was gathered using a questionnaire with an interview and the intervention
was to provide training and a pocket book about leprosy and how to detect, control, and manage it
there and the role that the Tabib can play in controlling leprosy in the future. The results of the study
showed that there was a significant difference in knowledge about leprosy between the EG
(Experimental Group) Tabib after they got the training including the pocket book and the Tabib in the
Control Group (CG); i.e., that did not get any training nor the pocket book. Furthermore, after the
training, there was also a significant difference in the attitude towards leprosy between the EG and the
CG of Tabib. There was also a significant difference in the future role of the Tabibs to control the
spread of leprosy between the EG and the CG. Based on these results, it is hoped that the District
Health Department can implement a partnership model with the Tabib in Nagan Raya (and elsewhere)
to use the pocket book with training to implement a program to control the spread of leprosy and also
to always support the Tabib to improve their role in controlling and eliminating leprosy amongst the
village people.