Indonesia Become the Origin of Infectious Diseases ‘Hotspot’

MANADO, ZONAUTARA.com – Indonesia has the potential to become the origin of new infectious diseases or known as hotspot disease. The aforementioned hotspot is a disease that was not there before, it has emerged because has many initiator. They are, forest degradation, wildlife trade, forest encroachment, and the intensity of human interaction with the high animals. On that basis, the Government of Indonesia with the US Government initiated the cooperation of Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) 2 program.

Drh Andri Jatikusumah, from the National Tactical Advisor of One Health and Zoonosis Control, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), explained that in this EPT 2 cooperation, one of them is providing assistance to FAO through the Ministry of Agriculture. Within EPT 2, there is an increased capacity for the prevention and control of new infectious diseases.

In Indonesia, there are three areas that were first selected as an example area or pilot to do this EPT 2 program, namely Riau in Bengkalis; Southeast Kalimantan in Ketapang, and East Java in Boyolali. The area is chosen because it has high risk, sufficient resources, and get support from the Government.

“When the three areas are running, we see the Eastern Indonesia should be an example. Minahasa Regency was chosen for the same reasons, which has high risk, sufficient resources, and get support from the Government, ” said Andri

He added, in this program, first, we do to approach animals, mainly from domestic animal house and also wildlife.

“So the detection is not to human beings. But we try the detection and prevention for animals. The source is mostly 75 percent of the wildlife that affects the domestic animal house. For example, viruses initially detected come from wild animals, then enter the many livestock. Then the virus become so much and go into humans, ” explained Andri.

Hence, it is necessary to increase capacity in this three sectors, namely the wildlife health sector, livestock health, and public health through the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

 

Editor : Christo Senduk