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Govt. strives to contain spread of diphtheria
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Stay healthy! A baby cries as a health worker administers a diphtheria vaccine at a clinic in Cibinong, Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday. (Antara/Yulius Satria Wijaya)
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uthorities across Indonesia are taking measures to tackle the spread of diphtheria, a deadly bacterial infection that now affects 95 cities in 20 provinces of the country.
The Bogor Health Agency has taken swift action to prevent a diphtheria outbreak in the regency by promoting its diphtheria immunization program.
The agency plans to strengthen its immunization campaign, so that more people would realize the importance of being vaccinated against diphtheria.
“We have made the delivery of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccines to infants and children an annual program. We have held vaccination events at health care facilities across the regency,” said the Bogor Health Agency’s disease control and prevention division head, Agus Fauzi, as quoted by news agency Antara.
The Health Ministry’s director general for disease control and prevention, Muhammad Subuh, said South Sumatra needed to strengthen efforts to handle the spread of the bacterial infection in the province.
South Sumatera Governor Alex Nurdin reported to the ministry that suspected diphtheria cases in the city of Palembang and the regency of Ogan Komering Ilir had turned out to be negative.
“Palembang must be clear from diphtheria, as it will host the Asian Games next year,” he noted.
East Java and Jakarta are the provinces with the highest prevalence of diphtheria infections, according to Subuh. (vla/ebf)
