Some indigenous people are hesitant and afraid to go to hospitals due to the unstable situation in the cities and the hoaxes related to COVID-19, head of the emergency response division at AMAN, Annas Radin Syarif, said at an online discussion entitled 'Challenge of Inclusive Vaccination for Indigenous Peoples & Vulnerable Groups', accessed from here on Wednesday.
"Misleading news related to COVID-19 is still circulating among them (indigenous people). Therefore, many of them are scared. This is a challenge for AMAN to conduct dissemination (of the right information)," he added.
He lauded the Ministry of Health for its efforts to encourage the indigenous people to get vaccinated, including the vaccination program launched for the indigenous Baduy people last October.
However, dissemination must be strengthened as there are still some indigenous people who are still hesitant about COVID-19 vaccinations, he said.
Related news: Minister ensures COVID vaccination access for indigenous Baduy people
The lack of understanding and cultural issues are also posing a challenge to the vaccination program, especially among the indigenous people who do not use technology, such as the Inner Baduy, Syarif added.
According to him, there has been a decline in interest in vaccinations among the indigenous people. Apart from hoaxes, there are also concerns about the quality of vaccine doses given to the indigenous people, he said.
"There are also many changes in information that may make indigenous people doubtful. The issue of dissemination is important as well as the locations of the vaccinations," he added.
The problem with vaccination locations is that not all indigenous people are living in areas that can be reached easily, Syarif said.
For this reason, he suggested that health workers visit the villages where indigenous people reside. In addition to conducting dissemination, health workers can also get involved in determining the location of vaccination centers, he added.
Related news: Culture Ministry supports COVID-19 vaccination for indigenous people
Translator: Prisca Triferna, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
