Hepatitis B affects one in three: Official
JAKARTA (JP): An estimated one in three Indonesians are infected with Hepatitis B.
The Ministry of Health's director general for communicable disease control and environmental health, Hadi M. Abednego, has expressed concern over the high prevalence of the disease which affects about 36.17 percent of the population.
"This prevalence is even more worrying when we see that 45.9 percent of those infected were communicated (the disease) directly from their mothers as newborns," he said, addressing a seminar on the disease in Ambon, Maluku, Saturday.
He said the government has embarked on an ambitious nationwide immunization effort to help reduce the prevalence of the disease.
"If necessary, immunize babies as soon possible."
Antara reported that the immunization of newborns had proven successful in countering the disease.
A study conducted in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, shows the prevalence of babies infected with the disease has dropped from 7 percent to just 1.6 percent after immunization was conducted.
According to Abednego, immunization programs would continue despite the recognized low nutrition level of many Indonesian babies.
He maintained that the various programs currently being conducted by the government to improve nutrition levels would help reduce any side effects.
"The nutrition level of Indonesian babies is relatively lower than in Africa. But the government has conducted various programs to improve this."
Despite the high cost of Hepatitis B vaccines, Abednego said the government would continue to try and provide free vaccines at various public health centers.
He pointed out the various adverse effects of the disease which often lead to chronic kidney complications.
"We need to do this to help improve the quality of health of Indonesians.
"Hopefully once we have reached a large enough number and sustain it like the (polio) national immunization campaign, we can go ahead with plans for a total elimination of Hepatitis B in Indonesia in 2005". (mds)