Malaria haunts tsunami survivors<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Alwin Salman was standing in a line in front of a government
\noffice in Banda Aceh, waiting to pick up his monthly cash payment
\nto help tsunami survivors get back on their feet, when he began
\nfeeling ill.<\/p>\n
He felt hot and began sweating profusely, but his teeth were
\nchattering. Then he fainted. Alwin, 29, woke up to find himself
\nin the hospital, where doctors told him he had malaria.<\/p>\n
Alwin was released after several days and life seemed to be
\nreturning to normal for the unmarried man. Then three weeks
\nlater, while lying in bed on a hot afternoon, his symptoms
\nreturned and he was rushed to the hospital by his surviving
\nfamily.<\/p>\n
Alwin lost his parents and two siblings when the tsunami swept
\nover their house in Banda Aceh's Ajun subdistrict. Immediately
\nafter the disaster he was living in a shelter for displaced
\npersons, but has since moved into his sister's house in the
\nKanereum neighborhood of the provincial capital.<\/p>\n
\"It was a terrible disaster. Now I am haunted by the thought
\nthat I will die from this disease,\" said Alwin from his hospital
\nbed on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
It is estimated there are hundreds of thousands of people in
\nAceh suffering from malaria. The disease has been a major concern
\nsince the tsunami last year, and that concern has heightened as
\nthe rainy season approaches the province.<\/p>\n
Between January and November, there were 26,844 reported cases
\nof suspected malaria in Aceh, with three deaths. Sadly, many of
\nthe people who contracted malaria were tsunami survivors.<\/p>\n
\"The 26,844 figure was clinically detected, meaning they were
\nfound to be suffering from malaria-type symptoms. But I believe,
\nafter laboratory tests, the number of people who test positive
\nfor the disease could be much lower. In North Aceh regency, some
\n120 people had malaria-type symptoms, but laboratory tests found
\nonly six were suffering from the disease,\" Marwan Nusri, the head
\nof provincial health office, told The Jakarta Post at his office
\non Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Dengue fever, another disease transmitted by mosquitoes, is
\nanother major concern for the people of Aceh. The number of
\ndengue fever cases in the province has been on the rise since the
\ntsunami.<\/p>\n
There were 290 reported cases of dengue fever last year, with
\nthree deaths. But the number of cases jumped to 423 so far this
\nyear, with seven fatalities.<\/p>\n
\"The tsunami brought down many buildings. The rubble of the
\nbuildings has proven to be a perfect breeding ground for the
\nAnopheles and Aedes aegypty mosquitoes, the carriers of malaria
\nand dengue,\" said Marwan.<\/p>\n
Marwan said his office had stepped up its campaign to fight
\nthe spread of dengue and malaria. This campaign includes more
\nspraying of areas where mosquitoes are thought to be breeding,
\nand an intensified effort to educate the public about the
\nimportance of keeping their neighborhoods clean.<\/p>\n
The government is also providing free medical treatment for
\nmalaria victims.<\/p>\n
\"I have not had to pay for anything, except for medicine I
\nbought outside the hospital,\" said Alwin.<\/p>\n
Marwan said the foreign NGOs and doctors who streamed into the
\nprovince after the tsunami had provided assistance in combating
\nthe diseases, but the health official still wanted more help.<\/p>\n
\"I hope the foreign NGOs will not just focus on
\nreconstruction. Working on tangible projects such as building
\nhospitals is good, but a transfer of knowledge to health workers
\nhere is also important to improve the quality of health care in
\nAceh in the years to come.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaria-haunts-tsunami-survivors-1447893297",
"image": ""
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