El Nino Can Control Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Cases In Indonesia

Illustration of drought as a result of the weather phenomenon of El Nino. (Freepic)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has asked the public to be aware of the impact of El Nino which has the potential to trigger an increase in dengue hemorrhagic fever cases aka dengue or dengue in Indonesia.

El Nino is a phenomenon of sea level temperature warming that causes drought.

"With El Nino, we are afraid that things will increase, so in early 2023 we have issued a Circular (SE) to remind all local governments. We are worried that there will be a spike in cases," said the Director of Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases at the Ministry of Health, Imran Pambudi at the 'ASEAN Dengue Day 2023 Commemoration' event in Jakarta, Monday, June 12, confiscated by Antara.

Imran said, based on a study that the Ministry of Health has, the frequency of mosquitoes to bite will increase three to five times more virulent when the temperature in a country is heating up above 35 degrees Celsius.

With the drought brought by El Nino, it is feared that the water in a container or accommodated in a puddle will not be replaced. This helps mosquitoes find breeding places or places for Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes that cause dengue to breed.

El Nino is indeed a cycle, since the beginning of the year we have conveyed it to the regional health office to be careful. They must always be prepared to monitor how to eradicate their mosquito nests to be improved," he said.

In the cumulative data of the Ministry of Health up to the 22nd week of 2023 alone, the Ministry of Health has found 35,694 cases of dengue, with 270 deaths due to dengue in the same period. Imran appealed to all parties to be careful because dengue cases are found at the age of children.

In order to prevent cases from increasing, Imran emphasized that the most important thing about overcoming dengue lies in prevention efforts. Currently, the Ministry of Health is intensifying socialization regarding the importance of Mosquito Nest Eradication (PSN).

Where socialization is intensified through the 3M Plus campaign, namely draining and sweeping, closing water reservoirs, utilizing or recycling used goods and preventing mosquito bites and breeding.

"Our fogging is not too recommended because it is more in the direction of reaction, if there is a new case we fogging. Now the important thing is that there should be no mosquito larvae. Then we say that there are many plants in the area, it is recommended to use lotion or (vaccine) bivalents, these things protect," he said.

During the event, Imran also asked that while the community intensify 3M Plus, local governments need to start conducting more regular monitoring and prepare all logistical needs, fluids and related medicines in health facilities, as a form of anticipation of a spike in cases at any time.

The Ministry of Health itself admits that it is implementing six national strategies to overcome dengue for the 2021-2025 period, namely strengthening effective, safe and sustainable vector management, improving access and quality of dengue management, strengthening comprehensive dengue surveillance and responsive management of Extraordinary Events (KLB).

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health also carries out a sustainable increase in community and institutional participation, strengthening program management policies, partnerships and government commitments to developing studies, research and innovation as the basis for policies and proof-based program management.

"Commitment of local governments is very important to be able to allocate sufficient resources. In this case, humans or funds can be able to overcome this dengue problem," said Imran.