The Ministry Of Health Notes That Tropical Diseases Are Still Jangkit 1 Million Indonesians

The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) building in Jakarta. (Antaranews)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) reports that various neglected tropical diseases (Neglected Tropical Diseases/NTDs) still infect around one million Indonesians. The report was submitted by the Director General of Public Health at the Indonesian Ministry of Health Maria Endang Sumiwi at the commemoration of World NTDs Day 2024 in Jakarta, Wednesday, March 6. "The neglected tropical disease is an old disease related to social and economic well-being, especially in the tropic and subtropic regions, and still infects more than one million of our population," he said, confiscated by Antara. He said that in Indonesia, eight of the 21 tropical diseases were neglected, including frambusia, catfishing filaris, and Schistosomiasis. Kusta has an elimination target of less than one by 10,000 residents, but until 2023 14,376 new cases with 11 provinces and 124 regencies/cities still have prevalence above one by 10,000 residents. "The problem oflving is not only limited to the high prevalence, but also the high proportion of new patients with disabilities of level 2 of 5.75 percent," he said. Maria said various efforts to accelerate elimination were carried out with the role of all elements, both government and central or regional-level partners, as well as the scope of formal or non-formal organizations. In addition to death, he continued, frembusia is an NTD disease that although rarely found, according to reports from the provincial Health Office, 69 new cases were still found in 2024. Most cases were reported from Maluku, North Maluku, West Papua, Southwest Papua, and Central Papua. Until 2023, Maria said, there were 158 frambusian-free regencies/cities consisting of 10 endemic regions and 148 non-endemic regions in Indonesia. "This year there are 99 regencies/cities that have passed the frumbusia eradication assessment and are entitled to receive a pre-emptive free certificate," he said.

The Ministry of Health also reports that currently there are six provinces that are 100 percent free of frembusia, namely Lampung, Banten, Central Java, Bali, Central Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan. Likewise, the elimination of filariasis has been carried out in stages in 236 endemic districts/cities. As of 2023, 40 districts/cities have been declared to be eliminating filararias and receiving certificates from the Minister of Health (Menkes).