UNDIP, Barcelona, Spain (4/7) – The international dermatology community is highlighting Indonesia’s progress. Dermatology expert from Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), Dr. dr. Renni Yuniati, SpDVE, Subsp DT, FINSDV, FAADV, MH, impressed as a keynote speaker at the International Congress of Dermatology and Cosmetology held in Barcelona, Spain, June 22nd–24th, 2026.
In her scientific speech titled “Latest Innovations in Leprosy Diagnosis and Therapy: Towards Accelerating Global Elimination,” Dr. Renni stated that leprosy remains a serious global health challenge. Each year, more than 170,000 new cases are recorded worldwide, with nearly 10,000 of them affecting children, indicating that transmission is still active in the community.
In front of world leaders in dermatology and infectious diseases, Dr. Renni presented a series of cutting-edge innovations that have the potential to revolutionize the fight against leprosy. On the diagnostic front, she highlighted the CRADAR-i portable molecular test, which can provide same-day results without electricity, the lateral flow assay rapid test, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI), which now achieves diagnostic accuracy of over 90 percent.
On the therapeutic side, he highlighted two breakthrough drugs, Bedaquiline and Telacebec, which promise ultra-short treatment, potentially even a single dose. For prevention, Dr. Renni highlighted the LepVax vaccine and single-dose rifampin prophylaxis (SDR-PEP), which have been shown to reduce leprosy incidence by up to 57 percent in close contacts.
As a representative of the country with the third highest leprosy burden in the world, Dr. Renni emphasized Indonesia and Universitas Diponegoro’s position as the vanguard of research and implementation. “Leprosy-free is no longer a distant dream; it is a reality we can achieve within our generation,” she asserted, drawing enthusiastic applause from the audience. This performance was a source of pride for Indonesia and placed the nation’s research on the global medical stage. (Public Communication/UNDIP/FK)
