The ministry's director for communicable diseases, Ina Agustina Isturini, stated at the 2025 National Dengue Program Meeting hosted here on Thursday that the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for a reliable record system to ensure logistics are distributed effectively and efficiently to areas in need.
Hence, Isturini praised the management of the Electronic Health Logistics Inventory Monitoring System (SMILE) for expanding its program to include logistics for immunization and communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.
"And now, it covers arboviruses, like dengue. I welcome this very much because I believe, this cannot be pushed back any longer. It is time for central, provincial, district, and city governments to improve the logistics reporting system and map out (distribution)," she elaborated.
She drew a parallel between health transformation and the body, saying that logistics are like blood and the information technology system is the brain. If neither of those exists, the limbs cannot move, as there is no one to supply blood to the organs.
"(If) there are human resources and health facilities but no logistics, it would be impossible (to operate)," she stressed.
Moreover, a good logistics record system allows for stock monitoring and alerts authorities to situations, such as low or expiring stocks.
Given their crucial nature in the whole framework, she affirmed that logistics and information technology systems must be prepared to handle all situations, from routine cases to major crises.
"In a crisis, everything must be done quickly. If not, many lives are lost, and (the disease) becomes uncontrollable," the director cautioned.
Isturini deems this to be especially urgent as climate change increases the risk of dengue outbreaks, citing Pakistan's spike in malaria cases after the 2021 floods as an example.
"It can also happen with dengue fever," she added.
To this end, Isturini highlighted the need for Indonesia to adapt to these changes, including by pursuing health system transformation.
Translator: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
