Dozens die of respiratory disease in Papua highlands

Nethy Dharma Somba ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jayapura   |  Tue, 03/25/2008 12:43 PM  |  Headlines

As least 23 people from four villages in Pegunungan Bintang regency, Papua, have died from acute respiratory infection since January, a local health official says.

"This is not an extraordinary situation, and health workers have been providing medical care in the four villages," Pegunungan Bintang Health Office head Darius Salamuk told The Jakarta Post by cell phone Monday.

The affected villages are Okteneng, Kaeb, Kokiabakon and Bakonaib, all in Kiwirok district.

Salamuk said respiratory diseases were a major problem in Papua's central mountain areas.

One reason for this, he said, is that people sleep near the fire in their honai homes due to the cold weather, exposing them to smoke,

A honai is a hut made of sticks and thatch.

"This is a common health condition suffered by most of the people in remote villages. Sufferers could be cured if they sought medical treatment immediately, but because they're beyond the reach of medical services, some of them cannot be saved," said Salamuk.

Medical workers must walk for days or use small planes to reach the remote villages.

Salamuk said the team dispatched by the regency administration to provide medical attention to villagers had found a number of rudimentary problems.

"The villagers lack clean water and good sanitation. Their housing conditions are poor and they sleep by the fire in their honai to warm themselves at night. They also lack food that meets nutritional standards," said Salamuk.

These problems are compounded by the lack of medical care.

"The villages are only served by an auxiliary community health clinic in Mipol village which takes at least six hours to reach on land from the four villages," he said.

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