DPR Speaker Urges Government to Evaluate Measles Immunisation Programme

House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani has urged the government to evaluate the measles immunisation programme, which has not met its targets and has led to 10 deaths from January to March 2026. Eight of the ten victims were children under five years old who had never received the measles-rubella vaccine. “Every death that could have been prevented must be the subject of serious evaluation. The state must not allow basic health protection to weaken,” she said in a written statement quoted on Sunday, 5 April 2026. Although the Ministry of Health recorded a decline in measles cases from the first week to the twelfth week of 2026, Puan considers the fatalities a crisis in public health. Puan reminded the government to ensure that basic immunisation coverage reaches areas with limited access to health services. “When vaccines are available but do not reach all vulnerable groups, the risk to public health will increase,” she stated. The PDIP politician also highlighted the death of a doctor with initials AMW in Cianjur Regency, who is suspected of being exposed to the virus while treating measles patients. According to her, immunisation protection must also be expanded, especially for health workers who interact with measles sufferers. Puan views the various measles cases as a serious warning that the government must not allow gaps in the basic health protection programme for the community. “Especially in the immunisation programme, which has long been the foundation for preventing infectious diseases,” said the former Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection. Puan believes that the government is responsible not only for providing services but also for maintaining public trust that the state is capable of intervening in measles case trends. One way is to increase literacy through communities so that the public receives accurate information, feels involved, and does not doubt government policies. “The state needs to be present so that society believes that every health policy is implemented to protect the right to life of all citizens,” she said. Up to March this year, suspected measles sufferers reached 21,141 people, with 16,290 of them confirmed. The Ministry of Health also found 85 extraordinary events occurring in 47 districts and cities in 14 provinces. In the first week of 2026, there were 2,220 confirmed cases, decreasing to 146 cases in the twelfth week.