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View all search resultsEliminating malaria: Lessons from Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste has become clear evidence that strategic investment and regional cooperation can drive progress toward malaria elimination.
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People gather to play games at a malaria public awareness event held during Car Free Day on Dec. 9, 2023, in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), organized by the provincial administration in cooperation with UNICEF. (Tribunnews)
M
alaria remains a persistent threat to Indonesia and it puts pressure on President Prabowo Subianto’s administration to accelerate efforts toward achieving its target for a malaria-free future by 2030.
Optimizing malaria elimination in Papua is particularly crucial because a considerable percentage of people contracting malaria in Indonesia are from the region, where the disease is reported to contribute substantially to death rates.
A total of 476 regencies and cities (or about 79 percent of the 514 jurisdictions) have achieved elimination status. However, Papua accounts for over 93 percent of cases nationwide, largely due to its complex geography, social challenges and limited accessibility.
With less than five years before the deadline, what steps should Indonesia take to accelerate malaria elimination and join countries in the Asia-Pacific region that have already achieved this goal?
The World Health Organization officially certified Timor-Leste malaria-free on July 24 after it reported no indigenous cases since 2021. The health body recognizes this achievement as proof of Timor-Leste's unwavering commitment, demonstrated through its swift and coordinated national response since gaining independence in 2002.
“Timor-Leste’s success proves that malaria can be stopped in its tracks when strong political will, smart interventions, sustained domestic and external investment and dedicated health workers unite,” WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyeus said in a statement.
Timor-Leste, now the newest addition to ASEAN, is clear evidence that strategic investment and regional cooperation can drive progress toward malaria elimination.
