Thursday, January 25, 2018

GOVERNMENT PLANS SHORT-, LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS FOR PLAGUE-HIT ASMAT by Fardah

 Jakarta, Jan 25, 2018 (Antara) - The Indonesian Government has deployed various resources and done its utmost to tackle measles epidemic and malnutrition that have affected Asmat District in Papua Province since September 2017.
         The plague has claimed 67 lives, with 37 casualties reported in Tiga Isle sub-district. 
     The epidemic is believed to have been caused by food shortage, poor environment, and lack of medical personnel and facilities in Asmat, which also has very difficult terrain.
         Asmat tribal people inhabit the lowlands, consisting of mangroves, tidal swamps, and freshwater swamps, in the southwestern coast of the province.
         Based on information received on Jan 25, a total of 12,398 children in Asmat have been offered medical check-ups and treatment.   
    Of the total children, 646 are confirmed to be infected with measles, 144 are undernourished, four are suffering from both measles and poor nutrition, and 25 others are suspected to have measles.
         The children live in 117 kampongs in 23 sub-districts: Suator, Kolf Braza, Sirets, Fayit, Aswy, Tiga Isle, Akat, Agats, Jetsy, Kasuari Beach, Der Koumur, Auyu, Suru-suru, Unirsirauw, Sawaerma, Joerat, Ayip, Atsy, Betcbamu, Kopay, Safan, Joutu, and Koroway.
         According to Papua police chief Inspector General Boy Rafli Amar, the number of malnutrition victims in Asmat has reached 15 thousand people.
         "The victims of malnutrition have reached 10 thousand to 15 thousand," Amar noted on Jan 23.
         He mentioned various factors behind malnutrition cases in the district, which includes its remote location, lack of access to health facility, transportation, nutritious food, and low economic level.

         "Some rivers depend on tidal waters, which makes it difficult for boats to pass through the river at any time to distribute food," he added.
         Amar described the minimal facilities at the public health center (Puskesmas) in Asmat, with lack of paramedics and medical doctors to head the center.
          President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has given special attention to the problem in Asmat and called Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, Asmat District Head Elisa Kambu, and Deputy District Head Nduga Wentius to the Presidential Palace in Bogor to discuss the epidemic.
          The head of state has instructed all stakeholders, including the Health Ministry, the Social Affairs Ministry, the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), the Indonesian Police (Polri), and the regional government of Papua, to find short-, mid-, and long-term solutions to the problem.
        Jokowi expressed belief that developing infrastructure and modernizing farming are the solutions to the old problem besetting Papua, including diseases and malnutrition.
         The Asmat people have strong culture and tradition, and it would be difficult to persuade them to move to other safer areas, Jokowi, who has suggested relocation of the people to more urban areas, revealed.
        "It turns out that it is almost impossible to relocate them because of the tradition and customary law and rights over lands," Jokowi remarked.
          He stated that diseases and malnutrition have attacked not only the Asmat villages but also Nduga, Yahukimo, and Dogiyai in Papua.
          "It is difficult to reach those areas through deep jungle and swampy land. One village with a small population is located far from other villages, unlike those seen in Java," he explained.
           Medical doctors are not easily available, and not all of the people are willing to be vaccinated, he noted, adding that budget is not the main problem.
          Therefore, development of infrastructure and farms for food crop is the long-term solution, with healthcare being the short-term solution," the president pointed out. 
           Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek paid a visit to Agats, the capital of Asmat District, on Jan 25, to get a first-hand glimpse of children suffering from measles and malnutrition.
        Hundreds of measles and undernourished patients are being treated at the Integrated Health Command Post and the Asmat Regional Public Hospital.
         Minister Moeloek said her ministry, in cooperation with the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), Indonesian Police, and Social Ministry, has launched integrated efforts to tackle health issues in Asmat.
        "We have designed the first 10-day program to conduct various activities thrice until a month," Minister Moeloek noted after the meeting with President Jokowi.
        The health ministry has planned to build a warehouse in Timika to store logistics and medicines to respond to the extraordinary condition of measles epidemic and malnutrition in Indonesia¿s eastern most province of Papua.
      The ministry's head of Center for Health Crisis, Achmad Yurianto, said in a statement here on Thursday that the construction of the warehouse in Timika has become one of the agenda of the ministry in 2018, for efficiency in delivering logistics to tackle the epidemic. Papua will have two warehouses in Timika and Jayapura.
       Currently, the ministry has only one warehouse in Jayapura, which stores 30 tons of logistics for measles and malnutrition handling.
         The warehouse would be used to store medicines, biscuits for toddlers, additional food items, health devices, and other logistics to handle any extraordinary situation.
         The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) Representative in Indonesia and Timor Leste Mark Smulders stated that Indonesia has taken right actions to handle the plague in Asmat.
        "As far as I can observe, the Indonesian government is taking right actions at highest level," he stated after attending workshop of Food Control System Assessment in Indonesia, Jakarta on Jan 24, 2018. 
   He also said President Joko Widod has given a very clear instruction to handle the issue from the root causes due to the tragic situation when many children have died and are still sick.
        Sharad Adhikary, Team Lead for Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Mental Health, Food Safety and Environmental Health from World Health Organization, said that health is related to the nutrition.
       Ensuring good food distribution and having the access to various nutritious food are some challenges to address.
    (f001/INE)
EDITED BY INE/a014

(T.F001/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 25-01-2018

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