Mountainous Papua – The Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), through the Association of Health Services (Adinkes) throughout Indonesia, hopes that Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Tuberculosis (TB), and Malaria (ATM) in Mountainous Papua will be seriously addressed to prevent loss of life as early as possible.
In a written statement in Wamena on Saturday, Ferdinan J. Laihad, a member of the Executive Board of Adinkes throughout Indonesia, stated that ATM management must be implemented effectively to ensure control.
“We hope that regional governments, both provincial and district, can seriously promote this ATM program to ensure synchronization between central and regional government programs, so that these diseases can be eliminated,” he said.
According to him, controlling ATM cannot be done solely by the provincial and district Health Services; it requires cross-sectoral involvement, both central and regional, as well as the community.
“Cross-sectoral support from government and non-governmental institutions, as well as the community, will be able to control ATM in the Mountainous Papua region,” he said.
In this effort, his team is focusing on six regions in the Papua Highlands, which have received support from the Global Fund for the eradication of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria worldwide.
“This initiative could actually be expanded to address ATM disease in districts/cities throughout Indonesia. Meanwhile, the Global Fund is currently focused on planning and monitoring this disease in only six districts,” he said.
He added that the six priority areas in the Papua Highlands are Jayawijaya, Nduga, Yahukimo, Central Mamberamo, Yalimo, and Pegunungan Bintang Regencies.
“We hope that ATM disease in the Papua Highlands can be properly managed so that the community can live in peace and prosperity,” he said.
He acknowledged that there has been no change in the focus of intervention regarding ATM disease management in the Papua Highlands.
“However, there are security concerns, so the method has been slightly changed to avoid unnecessary casualties, by consolidating the implementation in certain locations, with the approval of the central Health Agency,” he said.
