The Jakarta Post, 21/12 - Indonesia is getting healthier on the whole, but major concerns remain over poor access to healthcare in remote areas and the persistence of several deadly diseases, the latest national health report shows. The report shows Indonesia is on track to meet the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but malnutrition among children, a higher tuberculosis rate triggered by an increase in HIV/AIDS cases and the country’s still high infant mortality rate were today’s major concerns. Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said that the government would pay more attention to reducing malnutrition, reducing the child mortality rate, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases, and increasing access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
The percentage of undernourished people had decreased to 4.9 percent this year from 12.8 percent in 1995, she said. To meet the targets, Indonesia’s undernourishment rate must dip below 15 percent, and the malnutrition rate below 3.5 percent by 2015.
Endang said the government would put more effort into combating malaria, one of several diseases that still posed a major health threat in Indonesia. “We are targeting to reduce malarial cases to one per 1,000 people from http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giftwo per 1,000 people,” she said, adding that three regions — Bali, Batam, and Jakarta — were projected to be free from malaria by the end of this year. She said the government had been able to significantly reduce malaria in Java and Bali, but that it remained widespread in the eastern parts of Indonesia, including Papua and West Papua.
The percentage of undernourished people had decreased to 4.9 percent this year from 12.8 percent in 1995, she said. To meet the targets, Indonesia’s undernourishment rate must dip below 15 percent, and the malnutrition rate below 3.5 percent by 2015.
Endang said the government would put more effort into combating malaria, one of several diseases that still posed a major health threat in Indonesia. “We are targeting to reduce malarial cases to one per 1,000 people from http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giftwo per 1,000 people,” she said, adding that three regions — Bali, Batam, and Jakarta — were projected to be free from malaria by the end of this year. She said the government had been able to significantly reduce malaria in Java and Bali, but that it remained widespread in the eastern parts of Indonesia, including Papua and West Papua.
Source : http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/12/21/ri-healthier-concerns-persist-latest-report-shows.html
