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Disease outbreak control discussed at GHSA meeting
Health experts have expressed their increasing concerns regarding the rise of infectious diseases and exchanged ideas on containment strategies during the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday
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H
ealth experts have expressed their increasing concerns regarding the rise of infectious diseases and exchanged ideas on containment strategies during the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday.
'The meeting is aimed at discussing how best we can deal with the rise of zoonotic diseases [such as Ebola and avian flu]. Hopefully by the end of the talks, we can reach a cooperative agreement,' Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi announced on Wednesday.
She added that participating nations shared the responsibility of assisting health workers and experts to contain the diseases.
In the meeting, representatives from 37 countries and several members of international health organizations discussed initiatives to tackle and contain the rise of zoonotic diseases, which are diseases transferred from animals to humans.
Zoonotic diseases tend to develop as a result of several factors, such as the use of pesticides and anti-microbes, as well as climate change and increasing human-to-animal contact.
Disease outbreaks discussed included the Ebola virus currently spreading in west Africa, the MERS CoV virus in the Middle East, as well as avian influenza, which remains a threat in Indonesia.
Agriculture Minister Suswono said the ministry had conducted routine surveillance on poultry and livestock to prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases. He added that the results of the surveillance had been forwarded to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
'If we find an infected group of animals, the urgent thing to do is to depopulate them and furthermore, to give routine vaccinations to the residents nearby,' he said.
Suswono added that the ministry had identified 17 zoonotic diseases and 8 non-zoonotic diseases currently present in Indonesia. Anthrax, avian flu and rabies were the three most critical and immediate threats facing the country.
'We are targeting to get rid of the zoonotic diseases by 2025,' he said. Initiated by the US and other developed countries, with support from UN agencies, the GHSA held its first meeting in Helsinki, Finland, from May 5 to 6. Another GHSA conference will take place in Washington DC in September. (dyl/ebf)
