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Immunization program in seven provinces
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 09/27/2007 3:27 PM
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang
Some US$20 million for an immunization program across seven Indonesian provinces including Central Java has been allocated by USAID through the Millennium Challenge Corporation Indonesia/Immunization Project (MCCI/IP), organizers said Tuesday from Semarang.
Project chief Stephen C. Joseph said Indonesia was known around the world for its success in child immunization, but the number of children immunized had declined in the last years.
He said MCCI/IP, in cooperation with the Health Ministry, wanted to repeat past successes over a two year immunization acceleration program.
The immunization program would cover seven provinces in Indonesia including North Sumatra, South Sumatra, Banten, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java and East Java.
The program was aimed to expand the coverage of routine immunization to 80.5 percent for DPT3 (three doses of vaccine against Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus) and 90 percent for measles.
Head of Central Java Health Service Unit Hartanto said in Central Java the immunization acceleration program would be introduced in Semarang, Brebes, Tegal, Grobogan, Cilacap, Kendal, Purbalingga, Pati, Blora, Kebumen, Temanggung and Wonogiri.
Hartanto said in 2005 a huge number of people suffered from polio throughout 10 provinces in Indonesia, including Central Java.
National immunization was carried out weekly in 2005 and 2006 to cut the chains of disease contagion.
With the current immunization program, child mortality rates associated with contagious diseases was expected to decline, he said.
