Government plans more polio drive
Tb. Arie Rukmantara, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
The government said on Friday that the third nationwide polio vaccinations were a success, and expressed optimism that the crippling disease could be completely eradicated by carrying out two additional mass vaccinations next year.
Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari said that the third round vaccination program done in November had successfully vaccinated 97.9 percent of the targeted 23.6 million children under five across the country.
"We have seen an increase of 882,790 children taking part in the last national polio vaccination drive," she told the media at her office in Jakarta, while unveiling the progress report of the government's polio vaccination campaign.
The first and second nationwide polio immunization was carried out in August and September, respectively, with success rates of 95 percent and 97.7 percent.
The report of the third round immunization program shows that 16 provinces vaccinated 100 percent of the targeted children and 14 provinces, including Jakarta, recorded between 90 percent to 98 percent success rates.
However, Fadilah expressed concerns over three provinces with vaccination rates under 90 percent - North Maluku with 86.4 percent, West Irian Jaya (73.8 percent) and Papua (50.3 percent).
"Since we could have not been able to achieve the maximum target of 100 percent plus the fact that some areas still have low vaccination rates, we will definitely hold another two rounds of the campaign in late January and late February," she said.
She explained that the campaign would cost Rp 230 billion, of which 80 percent would be financed by the 2006 state budget, while the remainder was expected to come from donors.
"Hopefully our international partners, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), as well as other international organizations will cover the remaining 20 percent," she reiterated.
WHO Indonesia representative Georg Peterson believed that the next rounds of national vaccinations would stop polio in the country and it would help his organization to achieve the target to halt global polio transmission by the middle of 2006.
"Most likely, world polio transmission would be stopped in June 2006," he said.
"Unfortunately, a low level of virus circulation are being spotted in several areas here. That's why international experts have recommended the Indonesian government to continue with another two rounds of vaccinations."
Polio reemerged in the country in April of this year after having been eradicated a decade ago. There have been nearly 300 polio cases officially confirmed since the reemergence of the water-borne disease.
UNICEF Indonesia's Gianfranco Rotigliano praised the government's efforts, saying that Indonesia had done better than other countries to fight polio.
"The situation in Indonesia looks quite well and it is very unlikely, if we keep vaccinating, there will be polio again," he said.
However, Peterson warned that after the January and February vaccination programs, routine polio vaccination aiming at new- born babies should be strengthened.
"Should no transmission of polio be found two years after 2006, Indonesia could regain its status as a free-polio country," he told The Jakarta Post.
A Health Ministry official said Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country with over 230 million people, has 5 million births annually.