Jakarta, IO – As an endemic country, Indonesia still has to continue to struggle with dengue fever through its health sector. This is the condition formerly known as “dengue hemorrhagic fever” (DBD). 2020 data from the Ministry of Health number 108,303 cases, with a death rate of 747 people; in 2021 there were 73,518 cases with a death rate of 705; then in 2022 cases increased significantly to 143,176 with a death rate of 1,236.
The trend toward more dengue cases is reported to be linked to the El Niño phenomenon, even though control efforts continue to be carried out, including “3MPlus”, namely, draining, closing and recycling water storage containers which are breeding grounds for the Aedes aegypti mosquito which carries the dengue virus.
“The incidence of dengue fever has increased again when the El Niño phenomenon recurs. Every time El Niño comes, cases of dengue fever are also reported to have increased. Efforts to control mosquitoes that cause dengue must be strengthened to reduce the fatality rate, including through the Jumantik Program, 3MPlus, Wolbachia technology, and DBD vaccine,” said Deputy Minister of Health, Prof. dr. Dante Saksono Harbuwono, Ph.D, in a public discussion entitled “The Role of the Community in Protecting Families against the Threat of Dengue” organized by the FNM Society, in collaboration with Bio Farma and Takeda in Jakarta, Wednesday (17/1/2024).
On this occasion, the Main Director of the Social Security Administration Agency (BPJS Kesehatan), Prof. Dr. Ali Ghufron Mukti, Ph.D, explained that the cost burden due to dengue disease continues to increase, “In 2022, financing for dengue treatment will reach IDR 1.3 trillion, while the previous year it was IDR 626 billion. We want to provide health protection to the community and realize joint action towards zero deaths from dengue by 2030.”
The target of zero deaths from dengue in Indonesia by 2030 was also expressed by the President Director of PT Takeda Innovative Medicines, Andreas Gutknecht. He said would continue to be an active partner of the Ministry of Health in education and efforts to achieve these targets. “Vaccination is an important method to help provide better protection from the threat of severe dengue, which can currently be given to the 6-45- year age group. DBD vaccine can be given to prevent serious threats,” he said.
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Prof. dr. Erni Juwita Nelwan, Sp. PD-KPTI, Ph.D, from the Indonesian Society of Internal Medicine (PAPDI), emphasized that intervention against dengue infection must be carried out comprehensively, namely on the agent, host and environment. The importance of broader protection considers that the dengue virus attacks all ages of human.
“Dengue symptom fever is just like any other disease: eye pain, muscle pain, bone pain, joint pain, headache, nausea/vomiting, or rash. Patients who have comorbidities such as diabetes or hypertension are at higher risk of experiencing dengue shock, which can be fatal. Watch out for dengue warning signs: a drop-in body temperature with intense and continuous abdominal pain, drowsiness, dizziness, bleeding from gums or nose, blood in vomit, urine or stools, persistent vomiting, restlessness. If there are co-existing conditions: pregnancy, infancy, old age, diabetes, or renal failure, go immediately to the nearest medical center,” she explained.
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Meanwhile, Chairman of Immunization Task Force in the Indonesia Pediatric Society (IDAI), Prof. dr. Hartono Gunardi, Sp.A(K), added that the highest death rate was reported in children aged 5-14 years or 45% of the entire age group, “Children are susceptible to dengue infection because they are close to populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Mosquitoes’ active times coincide with children’s activity schedules in general, during the day with peaks at 08.00- 13.00 and 15.00-17.00.”
IDAI has issued recommendations for dengue vaccination for children, which contains 4 antigens from 4 serotypes of the dengue virus. “Its efficacy has been studied in eight dengue endemic-countries with more than 28 thousand samples aged 1.5 to 60 years. Vaccines are an effort to prevent the transmission of dengue fever,” he concluded. (est)