Health policy in the past few years has been able to reduce a number of health problems in the country, including communicable diseases transmitted by mosquito, such as malaria, dengue fever, and filariasis. By end of 2006, there are 247 regencies/municipalities that have eliminated malaria while mortality rate of dengue fever under 1%.
According to Director General of Disease Prevention and Control in Health Ministry, dr. M. Subuh, MPPM, this success was due to the people’s awareness and participation.
“The role of society is significant. In the past two to three years, mosquito control has proved more successful due to the better contribution from society,” he said in the national seminar held to celebrate the Mosquito Day on Thursday (24/8) in East Parc Hotel, Yogyakarta.
Subuh revealed economic loss due to malaria, dengue fever, and filariasis throughout 2016 was high, which was Rp891,592,534,050 for malaria and number of patients 218,450, Rp986,136,333,963 for dengue fever affecting 204,171 people, and Rp 35,845,518,960 for filariasis with 13,009 people. This became the reason, said Subuh, why prevention is very important to do.
He encouraged the people to always take care of disease control transmitted by mosquito. Subuh added better synergy between many groups and society engagement would help succeed the Healthy Indonesia government programme.
The Seminar which is a collaboration between Disease Prevention and Control Directorate and Graduate Study Program of Tropical Medical Science Faculty of Medicine UGM was attended by some 300 participants from among academics, researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and Association of Parasitic Disease Elimination of Indonesia (P4I) and Association of Mosquito Control of Indonesia (APNI).
The seminar themed Updates of Mosquito Vector Control and Management of Insect Resistance presented eight panelists and tens of speakers that discus mechanism, vector resistance globally, and control strategies.
“This theme is expected to benefit material enrichment, inspiring entomology researchers, new innovations, and consideration for control strategy,” said dr. E. Elsa Herdiana Murhandarwati, M.Kes, Ph.D., chairwoman of Tropical Medical Science Graduate Study Program UGM.