Measles Cases Rising; Commission IX Parliament Urges Health Ministry to Increase Vigilance

Deputy Chair of Commission IX of the House of Representatives Yahya Zaini has responded to rising measles cases globally, including in Indonesia, urging the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) to enhance vigilance against the potential measles outbreak.

Zaini stated that Indonesia ranks second globally in measles cases after Yemen. According to WHO data, Indonesia has recorded 10,744 measles cases.

“The increase in measles cases in Indonesia is due to declining coverage of routine complete immunisation. We previously achieved routine complete immunisation coverage of 92 percent in 2018. However, this fell to 87.8 percent in 2022,” Zaini told journalists on Saturday (28 February 2026).

Zaini explained that according to Ministry of Health data for 2026, throughout 2025 there were 11,094 measles cases in Indonesia. From the beginning of 2026 through February, 550 cases have already been recorded.

“I urge the Ministry of Health to remain vigilant against the measles outbreak in Indonesia and be prepared to declare an outbreak (KLB) if growth cannot be controlled,” he stated.

The Golkar politician identified five steps the government must undertake immediately. These include increasing vaccination coverage and strengthening surveillance.

“(First) increase vaccination coverage to a minimum of 95 percent. Second, strengthen surveillance in cooperation with local authorities. Third, implement effective outbreak response measures,” he said.

“Fourth, eliminate misinformation about vaccination. Fifth, measles elimination plays an important role in improving national and regional health,” he added.

Previously, measles cases drew attention following the discovery of two Australian citizens testing positive. Both were reported to have travelled from Indonesia.

This report was received by the Ministry of Health through the International Health Regulation (IHR) mechanism. Regarding this, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that measles cases are indeed increasing globally.

“Measles is rising around the world now. There is also an increase in Indonesia,” said the Health Minister when met in West Jakarta on Thursday (26 February).

Five provinces with the highest outbreak cases throughout 2026:

West Sumatra

South Sumatra

DIY (Special Region of Yogyakarta)

West Java

Central Java