Dengue fever causes Rp 3.1 trillion in losses

The Health Ministry estimates that dengue fever outbreaks annually costs Indonesia Rp 3.1 trillion in financial loses that include Rp 343 billion in medical expenses.

As a tropical country with a fast growing population, dengue cases in Indonesia increase from time to time even though the mortality rate has reportedly declined.

Health systems specialist Soewarta Kosen of the Health Ministry Research Center said Tuesday in Jakarta that each case resulted in Rp 2.2 million in expenses.

"This is a disease that takes a lot of money for treatment and recovery," he said on the sidelines of the ASEAN Dengue Day Conference at the Sari Pan Pacific Hotel.

With 157,370 dengue cases in Indonesia last year, the public spent Rp 343 billion on medical treatment. "As Indonesia does not have a national healthcare system, most of the expenses are paid by the patients themselves," he said.

The cases also result in lost productivity hours that reach 2,362 disability adjusted life years.

"If we take into account macro economy, the disease causes productivity losses of Rp 2.8 trillion. It makes the total loss Rp 3.1 trillion," he said.

Soewarta said that the government should work harder to eliminate the disease.

"We know that fumigation is not the most effective way to stop the disease. We need to intensify prevention through dengue vaccinations," he said.

Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said society should not take the disease lightly.

"It is dangerous but we often dismiss it. The disease has become an important issue in Indonesia and in the Southeast Asian region," she said. (lfr)