Ministry Of Health: Malaria Cases At IKN Derived From The North Penajam Paser Border

Nusantara Zero Point (ANTARA / M Ghofar)

PENAJAM - Malaria Working Team of the Directorate General of Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Helen Dewi Prameswari stated that malaria cases in the capital city of Nusantara (IKN) in 2022 actually came from the border of North Penajam Paser Regency (PPU).

"The team did not find malaria in IKN. The findings made by the Ministry of Health showed that in the IKN area, especially the Central Government Core Area (KIPP) no malaria was found," Helen said in a written statement from the IKN Authority Communication Team in Samarinda as reported by ANTARA, Monday, May 8.

He emphasized that the malaria problem in the IKN region came from cross-border areas bordering PPU Regency, namely Paser Regency and West Kutai Regency.

The high number of malaria cases in PPU Regency is the estuary of cases from the cross-district area, where in PPU Regency there is one inpatient health center, namely the Sotek Health Center which is a reference from the border area with West Kutai Regency.

The land area of IKN is about 256,142 hectares located in two districts. The IKN area intersects with six sub-districts, namely Sepaku District, Samboja District, Loa Janan District, Loa Kulu District, Muara Jawa District, and Sanga-Sanga District.

Meanwhile, the endemic area of the closest malaria from IKN is in Sotek Village, PPU Regency, which is located at Zero Point IKN in Sepaku District about 40 kilometers, while the Anopheles mosquito which causes malaria the farthest flies is only 1-2 kilometers.

In a separate statement, the Manager of the Malaria Program of the PPU District Health Office, Ponco Waluyo, said that the last malaria case found in the region now IKN was in November 2018.

"At that time we found the latest international case in the area, but until now we have never found this case again," said Ponco, who has been involved in handling malaria cases since 1992.

Some cases of malaria found in the IKN region are imported cases from other places, for example cases of malaria in Persemaian Semoi, not the original case of those currently being worked on by IKN.

"This is a case of malaria from outside, namely several positive cases from river watershed workers who plant tree seedlings along the route in the IKN area," said Ponco.

The Management of the Malaria Program of the PPU Health Office has conducted a survey for groups of workers who are at risk. In fact, they have taken samples for construction workers, but so far no one has been exposed to malaria cases, so he stated that they are safe.