Malaria Mosquito Bites In North Penajam Paser Reaches 300 Cases

PENAJAM - Cases of mosquito bites carrying malaria in North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan are quite high, with 300 patients being treated at local health service centers in early 2022.

"The malaria mosquito attack is quite high, it has been recorded that so far it has reached 300 cases," said Ponco Waluyo, Manager of the Malaria Program at the North Penajam Paser Regency Health Office, in Penajam in Penajam, Tuesday, March 15.

"Data on malaria sufferers was collected from each puskesmas in the North Penajam Paser area, throughout this year (2022)," he added.

Hundreds of residents who were detected positive for malaria are the results of reports on the handling of puskesmas located in four sub-districts in North Penajam Paser Regency.

However, it is confirmed that malaria infection is dominated by areas outside Penajam Paser Utar Regency, namely from the Bongan area, West Kutai Regency and Paser Regency.

From the analysis, according to Ponco Waluyo, the factor of the spread of malaria in the North Penajam Paser area is known to be the majority of residents infected from neighboring areas.

The people who were indicated positive for malaria, he continued, were mostly wood craftsmen or plantation company workers.

"Residents affected by malaria are those who work as wood craftsmen in the border areas of North Penajam Paser, Paser and West Kutai Regencies," he said.

"More than 85 percent of the incidents are above Kilometer 42 of the Sotek-Bongan Road, but if it is above Kilometer 42, it is included in the Paser Regency area," he explained.

The North Penajam Paser District Health Office distributes antimalarial insecticide nets every year to minimize the disease caused by mosquito bites.

The antimalarial insecticidal mosquito nets assisted by the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Health are specifically for residents who live in plantation areas or areas.