Coordinating Minister For Human Development And Culture Asks Minister Of Health To Anticipate Monkeypox Outbreak

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendi gave a speech at the Planting 10 Million Trees event at Unhas Makassar, Tuesday, (26/7/2022). ANTARA/HO-South Sulawesi Provincial Government

MAKASSAR - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendi, asked the Minister of Health to be aware of monkeypox disease in the country.

"I have asked the Minister of Health to be prepared as well as possible, lest the monkeypox case, which is now also endemic in several countries, occurs in Indonesia. That must be anticipated," said Muhadjir Effendy at the Planting 10 Million Trees event at the Unhas Campus, Makassar, as reported by the Ministry of Health. BETWEEN, Tuesday, July 26.

Regarding the potential threat of disease that the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated as a global health emergency, he admitted that Indonesia is more prepared to anticipate the entry of monkeypox because its characteristics are known.

"This disease is different from COVID-19, at that time the world did not know what it looked like and how. God willing, we are better prepared to anticipate monkeypox," he said.

However, he certainly asked the public to be vigilant and the government would provide information so that the public would be more vigilant.

"The circulation is very specific, in my opinion the most important thing is the supervision of those who behave very sensitively or in close proximity to this monkeypox. We also continue to provide surveillance, guidance related to this disease, including information to make everyone more alert," he said.

Meanwhile, regarding the availability of drugs, Muhadjir said they were still available. Moreover, monkeypox is not a new disease so it is younger in the healing process.

"I said earlier, this disease is not unidentified. So it is very well known, so the drugs are now available at the Ministry of Health," he said.