HEALTH CARE

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin revealed that the Omicron BF.7, which triggered an explosion of Covid-19 cases in China, has been detected in Indonesia. He said that so far there have been 15 cases recorded, reported Merdeka, Friday (30/12).

Yayasan Kemitraan Indonesia Sehat (YKIS) advisory board chairman Nafsiah Mboi, said there has been a change in the HIV/AIDS transmission trend in the society. According to her, the disease is now mostly affecting pregnant women and same-sex groups, a shift from female sex workers and gay men in 2012, reported Tempo, Wednesday (28/12).

The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) chief Penny K Lukito stated that Pfizer and Biontech-produced mRNA vaccine has been granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for children aged 6 months to 11 years.

According to the 2022 Globocan research, cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women after breast cancer. Indonesia itself is the country with the highest incidence of cervical cancer in Southeast Asia, followed by Thailand, Filipina, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, and Timor Leste, respectively.

“Mentally disturbed persons” (MDP) or “psychologically challenged persons” (PCP) are vulnerable to discrimination; the law frequently fails to recognize their rights. They may also have limited access to necessary mental health services. This is because society in general and law enforcement are not fully-cognizant of the various manifestations of mental health problems. 

HIV/AIDS attacks the immune system. Naturally, HIV sufferers’ physical functions tend to get disrupted – including their brains and nerves. The HIV virus attacks the CD4 cells, which is a type of white blood cell that is important for the immune system. In the body, they help to identify and destroy the pathogens that cause disease, whether bacteria, fungi, or viruses. The lower the volume of CD4 in the body, the lower the body’s ability to prevent and heal from diseases. 

Cancer in Indonesia is a major public health economic concern, and its burden is increasing. With almost 400,000 new cases in 2020, we can predict (in numbers) a significant increase by 2040 in the caseload, due to aging and population growth. Better cancer control and a paradigm shift in cancer management are becoming increasingly urgent for strengthening the health system in Indonesia. 

Iron deficiency is the most common type of malnutrition in the world. According to data from the National Health Baseline Study, the prevalence of anemia among the total population in Indonesia has risen from 21.7% (2013) to 23.7% (2018), when no fewer than 3 out of every 10 Indonesian teens are diagnosed with anemia. 62.6% of these cases are directly attributable to iron deficiency.

Cancer rarely shows specific symptoms; this includes skin cancer, and explains why a lot of people aren’t aware that they have cancer until too late. Even though it is not as high-profile as breast or cervical cancer, detecting skin cancer early is crucial to prevent fatality. Dr. dr. Diani Kartini, Sp.B-Onk, an oncological surgery specialist from the Surgery Medical Specialty of University of Indonesia/dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National Central General Hospital Oncological Surgery Division, declares that if treated in early stages, skin cancers can heal completely. 

Violence towards women must be halted. According to 2022 records of the National Commission on Women, there were 338,496 cases of gender-based violence towards women reported in 2021, increasing 50% over that seen in 2020. 

Vulnerable groups have a higher risk of Covid-19 infection – and they also encounter a greater risk of severity of the disease when they fall victim to it as well. Prof. Dr. dr. Iris Rengganis, Sp.PD, K-AI, FINASIM, General Chairwoman of the Indonesian Allergy and Immunology Association’s Central Management (Perhimpunan Alergi Imunologi Indonesia – “Peralmuni”), declares that the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccine is better and more stable among a hospitalized healthy population. On the contrary, the vaccine’s effectiveness for vulnerable groups is markedly lower in general than that of the healthy population