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Oleh Juliyah, Selasa, 4 Oktober 2016 | 14:59 WIB - Redaktur: Filmon Warouw - 1K
Jakarta, InfoPublik – Indonesia has been successfully reducing Lymphatic Filariasis, known locally as Kaki Gajah, and it will be thoroughly eradicated in order to realize the Filariasis-free Indonesia by the year 2020.
Official data show a decrease in the percentage of people affected by the disease from 19.6 percent in 1970 to 4.7 percent in 2014. “In 2000, World Health Organization member states, including Indonesia, through the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland agreed upon the global goal of elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis as a public health problem by the year 2020. “Therefore, Indonesia is going to realize the Filariasis-Free Indonesia by the year 2020,” said Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek in the event of Filariasis Elimination Month (Belkaga) in Gunung Mas, Central Kalimantan, Monday (10/3), as quoted by Health Ministry’s Bureau of Communication and Community Service.
She explained that in order to succeed in human development, every Indonesian citizen must be healthy and free of any diseases, including free of Filariasis. “Hence, we are going to realize the Filariasis-free Indonesia by the year 2020, when Filariasis is no longer a health problem,” said she.
She added that the Filariasis-free condition must be truly realized, because it causes permanent disability, decreases the degree of public health, disrupts human development, disrupts economy, and inflicts social problem in the society.
To realize the target, the ministry is going to provide medicine for prevention of the disease massively in 239 endemic regencies or cities for 102 million people, including Gunung Mas regency. The ministry has been implementing this effort since 2015 and it is going to be continued until 2020.
“Eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis in Indonesia takes five years and it must be conducted consistently. It is not an easy effort but we could succeed with the help of the society and our hard work. We would create a better next generation,” she said.
The government has launched the second year of National Belkaga in 2016. Health Ministry is going to provide mass medicine for prevention of the disease in 239 endemic regencies or cities throughout Indonesia on every October until 2020. The first National Belkaga was launched in Bogor, West Java in 2015. (Translator: Erik Limantara)
