Ministry Of Health Implements Health Pass At Bali Entrance To Prevent Mpox During MSP IAF-HLF

Illustration -One Healthy Mobile. (ANTARA/HO-Kemenkes)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) said it would implement One HEALTH Health Pass at the entrance of the country to prevent potential transmission of Mpox, especially during the Indonesia Africa Forum (IAF) and High-Level Forum on Multi Stakeholder Partnership (HLF-MSP) in Bali.

"At the entrance at Soetta and Ngurah Rai Airports, we will carry out layered surveillance or screening with supervision of the health declaration of travelers or ONE SEHAT Health Pass," said Ministry of Health's Director of Surveillance and Quarantine Achmad Farchanny Tri Adryanto as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, August 29.

Farchanny explained that the health pass based on the website must be filled by all travelers at the departure airport. Upon arrival in Indonesia, travelers will also be screened for symptoms through thethermal scanner and visual observations of other signs and symptoms.

As for the suspected cases found at the airport, the Ministry of Health will impose a Molecular Rapid Test (TCM) through a mini lab that has been prepared. The medical team for emergency handling and potential disease for the outbreak were also on alert.

"Then, the treatment of medical emergency referrals and other potential infectious diseases," he added.

The Ministry of Health will also provide mini labs and mini ICUs at the IAF and HLF-MSP organizing locations that can carry out the Molecular Rapid Test (TCM).

Farchanny said thempox disease had increased significantly in African regional countries, as the World Health Organization (WHO) has conveyed.

Mpox is divided into two, namely Clade 1 which is widely circulated in African regional countries with more severe symptoms. Meanwhile, Clade 2, which is widely found in Asian countries, including Indonesia and other countries outside the African region, has milder symptoms.

The Ministry of Health noted that Indonesia had 88 cases of pompox from 2022 to August 2024, all of which had been declared cured. Then regarding the discovery of five suspected cases, it has been declared negative after an examination in the laboratory.

Responding to the outbreak of the Mpox case, including from African countries that will participate in the IAF and HLF-MSP events on September 1-3, the Director of Pascasarjana at Yarsi University, Prof. Tjandra Yoga Aditama assesses that the Mpox will not become a pandemic like COVID-19.

Tjandra, who is also the former Director of Infectious Diseases of WHO Southeast Asia, said that WHO declaredmpox as an outbreak of public health emergency of international concern or an outbreak of a public health emergency that is of international concern. If this condition is out of control, then the status will rise to a pandemic.

"So far, there have been seven or eight outbreaks of public health emergency of international concern, most of which have been overcome and have not become a pandemic," he said.

According to him, the Mpox will not grow to become a pandemic, because the MPX has been declared an outbreak of a public health emergency which is of international concern in 2022 and the statement is withdrawn in 2023 because the case has been completed.

The second reason is because of the transmission of pompox through close contact through the skin, it is different from COVID-19 which is through a virus that can be transmitted through cough. Meanwhile, the third reason is because the COVID-19 pandemic has taught many things so that it is more prepared to deal with problems, including thempox.

"For the vaccine (COVID-19) it has been met for a year and the MPX has not been declared a pandemic, there are already three vaccines in circulation," he said.

Nevertheless, Tjandra reminded that MSMEs must be handled optimally, both through surveillance suspects through various examinations, suspected diagnosis, patient treatment, to health counseling.