"Based on the team which assessed Indonesia`s measles immunization program, the mortality rate has dropped by 90 percent. The team said Indonesia has followed its guidance since it came to Indonesia in 2009," Director General for Disease Control and Sanitation (P2PL) of the Ministry of Health, Tjandra Yoga Aditama, said here on Monday.
Tjandra added that that the team was composed of representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and CDC United States. The team submitted its report to the Indonesian Health Minister, Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih, on Friday.
In its visit to Indonesia, the team also provided several recommendations, among others, that the government should consider providing second doses of measles immunizations for infants at the age of 18 months, which is to be combined with the DPT4 immunization.
The government is also recommending health checks be performed on children when they began going to school. Additionally, the government should adopt a measles elimination strategy.
"It suggests that the government should reinforce routine immunizations and launch a national immunization campaign for children between 9 months to 15 years of age by 2013," Tjandra said.
(Uu.A014/INE)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
