"We believe that the coalition is part of strategic efforts to realize Indonesia's commitment to the global target of a zero dengue fever fatality rate by 2030," the coalition's chairman, Suir Syam, said here on Friday.
He informed that the coalition against dengue will serve as a forum to gather support and strengthen commitment from various stakeholders and interests in tackling dengue fever in Indonesia.
He said the House of Representatives and the Ministry of Health view the coalition's formation as important for uniting all stakeholders to accelerate the reduction of dengue cases and meet the 2030 target.
The coalition is in line with the national strategies for dengue mitigation for 2021–2025, which cannot be separated from the health reformation agenda, he added.
"Especially in terms of the comprehensive transformation of primary health services, as stated in Law No. 17 of 2023 concerning Health," Syam said.
According to him, there was an urgent need for the coalition because dengue fever is a global public health threat given that the disease is highly transmissible via the bites of the mosquitos.
Moreover, he continued, Indonesia lies along the Equator, which is an endemic habitat of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes, which can transmit dengue.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono welcomed the collaborative effort between the House and the Ministry of Health.
"Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is impossible to accelerate dengue control only through the Health Ministry's exclusive program, but it must be inclusive by involving other elements, including the Health Caucus," he said.
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Translator: Sean M, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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