Indonesia has highest rate of Hepatitis B<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has the world highest prevalence of
\nHepatitis B, a disease which can lead to cirrhosis and cancer of
\nthe liver, according to an official.<\/p>\n
Director-General of Communicable Diseases Prevention Hadi M.
\nAbednego said yesterday that some 20 percent of Indonesia's total
\npopulation of 202.74 million are affected by Hepatitis B.<\/p>\n
\"It's the world's highest rate. It's really a cause for
\nalarm,\" he was quoted by Antara as saying in Kendari, Southeast
\nSulawesi.<\/p>\n
According to Ministry of Health data, one in 10 babies are
\nborn of mothers who have Hepatitis B and are therefore liable to
\ncontract the disease.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto dedicated last December in Bandung a US$10
\nmillion Hepatitis B vaccine plant owned jointly by Perum Bio
\nFarma, the state pharmaceutical company, and PT Triharsa Husada
\nUtama, which is owned by Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti
\nHardiyanti Rukmana.<\/p>\n
The plant has an initial capacity to produce 10 million
\nvaccines a year, and will be expanded to 15 million in the
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
Locally made vaccine is priced at Rp 3,000 (US$1.27) per
\ndosage, while some imported vaccines cost Rp 25,000 per dosage,
\nAntara reported.<\/p>\n
In compliance with a United Nations call, Indonesia has
\nrecently launched a Hepatitis B immunization campaign. Given the
\nlimited vaccine available at present, however, the campaign has
\nbeen limited to provinces where the disease is most prevalent.<\/p>\n
Hadi named the provinces as: Jakarta, West Java, Central Java,
\nEast Java, Yogyakarta, Bali, West Sumatra, West Kalimantan, West
\nNusa Tenggara, and Lampung.<\/p>\n
Later this year, however, the campaign will target some five
\nmillion children under five years of age in all of the 27
\nprovinces of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"I'm optimistic we can reach the target on schedule,\" Hadi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The vaccination campaign is part of the national health
\ndevelopment program, the targets of which include the eradication
\nof tuberculosis, tetanus, measles, polio and Hepatitis B.<\/p>\n
A total of 23 million children under five years old were
\nadministered with the polio vaccine during the anti-polio
\ncampaign last year, which must be repeated again this year and in
\n1997 to eradicate the virus from Indonesia once and for all.
\n(swe)<\/p>",
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