[COMMENTARY] Indonesia must not stop malaria fight, despite COVID-19

Elly Burhaini Faizal
The Jakarta Post

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Jakarta / Tue, January 5, 2021 / 08:27 am

[COMMENTARY] Indonesia must not stop malaria fight, despite COVID-19

Female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit the malaria parasite. (Shutterstock/File)

In many malaria-endemic countries around the world, including Indonesia, the COVID-19 crisis poses a double threat to public health. People who have malaria are vulnerable to coronavirus infection and may be at high risk of developing a severe form of the disease. The pandemic has disrupted malaria eradication programs in many ways. Social distancing and prolonged lockdowns have made it more difficult for countries to record malaria cases so they are unable to maintain accurate, current records of the disease. Travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic have caused shortages and skyrocketing prices of personal protective equipment and medical supplies, which ultimately prevent frontline health workers from making precise and timely diagnoses. The Indonesian government has shown a strong commitment to making the country’s malaria prevention and control prog...