Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) Initiative conducted a series of leprosy awareness activities in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, in partnership with the Miss Supranational 2024 crown holder, Harashta Haifa Zahra, on August 26–27. The activities were carried out in collaboration with PerMaTa South Sulawesi, a regional branch of a national organization of persons affected by leprosy, and its support organization Yayasan Dedikasi Tjipta Indonesia (YDTI).

Miss Supranational, an annual international beauty competition launched in Poland in 2009, is distinguished by its “From the Ground Up” community service initiative, which emphasizes social contribution over physical beauty. All contestants are encouraged to use the most valuable resource they have – time – to make an impact in their communities. Miss Supranational winners have been collaborating with the Initiative to raise awareness about leprosy since 2023. 

Harashta, the first Indonesian to win the Miss Supranational crown, was born in West Java in 2003. She is currently pursuing a degree in environmental engineering at the National Institute of Technology Bandung (ITENAS).

Indonesia has the third highest number of leprosy cases in the world, and discrimination against persons affected by leprosy remains a significant issue. The South Sulawesi branch of PerMaTa Indonesia is the most active part of the organization, and its members work closely with YDTI to combat stigma and provide much-needed support to those affected.

“Stigma and discrimination against persons affected by leprosy has decreased significantly compared to a decade ago, but we are far from eliminating it,” said Al Kadri, Chairman of PerMaTa, whose members conduct home visits to offer emotional support and care assistance to people under treatment.

On August 26, Miss Supranational visited Jongaya Leprosy Settlement in the provincial capital, Makassar. There she met with the head of the city’s health department, provincial and municipal officials, settlement residents, PerMaTa members, and other stakeholders at the local community hall. She shared her experience of being inspired by Princess Diana’s compassion for leprosy patients and expressed her commitment to becoming a driving force for changing perceptions of leprosy. She also pledged to help ensure that no one suffering from the disease is left untreated, help prevent disability due to leprosy, and work toward elimination of the stigma associated with the disease.

The following day, August 27, Miss Supranational visited Maros District, where she discussed strategies for managing leprosy cases and improving service quality with the local health department. She also attended an event at a local school where she and PerMaTa members encouraged students to learn about leprosy as a step toward reducing stigma in the community.
Harashta’s involvement in raising awareness of leprosy in her home country is a welcome development for campaigners in Indonesia, and the Initiative looks forward to working with her in other countries as well during her tenure as Miss Supranational 2024. The Initiative recently made a global call for grant projects to expand awareness-raising activities in collaboration with Miss and Mr. Supranational, with plans to launch activities in December.