Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Tangerang District Health Office Sumihar Sihaloho stated here on Tuesday that the Health Office had urged health facilities, including hospitals and community health centers (puskesmas), to take measures to detect the transmission of monkeypox early.
"From the start, we have issued a circular to health facilities, both hospitals and puskesmas, regarding prevention and early detection by increasing surveillance against monkeypox cases," she noted.
Sihaloho remarked that according to surveillance data, no cases of transmission of monkeypox had been found in the Tangerang District area.
In order to curb transmission of the disease, she affirmed that the Health Office had also instructed all heads of puskesmas, hospitals, and laboratories to disseminate information regarding efforts to prevent the transmission of monkeypox.
She pointed out that despite the mortality rate of monkeypox being low, the disease can cause brain infection. To this end, she advised the community to continue to implement a healthy lifestyle and maintain cleanliness of the environment.
The Health Ministry has activated a surveillance system at all entry points to Indonesia to prevent the spread of monkeypox.
Related news: Ministry activates surveillance to prevent monkeypox spread
Under the surveillance system, port health offices are checking the body temperature and indications of monkeypox in all travelers coming from countries with cases of transmission of the zoonotic disease, which can be transmitted to humans as well as via human-to-human spread, director-general of disease prevention and control at the Ministry of Health, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, said.
In addition, the government has prepared laboratories and health service facilities to mitigate monkeypox transmission.
Related news: Govt should intensify dissemination of information on monkeypox: DPR
Translator: Azmi Syamsul, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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