Measles on the Rise, Pramono Urges Vaccination Through Posyandu

The Jakarta Provincial Government (Pemprov) will intensify vaccination following a trend of rising measles cases that has recently resurfaced in the community. ‘Regarding the measles question, we will intensify vaccination,’ said Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung, at Jakarta City Hall, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday, 4 March. Pramono said the role of posyandu would be further optimised to provide direct education to the public. He noted that posyandu management boards across various regions, recently sworn in, were given a special mandate to socialise the importance of vaccination. ‘Yesterday, the Posyandu teams at provincial and district/city levels were sworn in, so one of their main duties is to socialise vaccination,’ he said. The drive to combat measles through optimising the role of posyandu cadres aligns with the Jakarta Provincial Government’s current major health agenda. He added that the vaccination campaign would run in parallel with addressing nutrition issues and other communicable diseases that also require serious intervention from local government. ‘Because in Jakarta I highlight two health-related priorities for the DKI Jakarta Government: first TB, second stunting,’ he said. Quoting detik.com, Yahya Zaini, Deputy Speaker of Commission IX of the DPR, responded to the rise of measles cases worldwide, including in Indonesia. Yahya urged the Health Ministry to heighten vigilance against the potential outbreak of measles. He said Indonesia is the second-largest measles caseload in the world after Yemen. Based on WHO data, measles cases in Indonesia numbered 10,744. ‘The rise in measles is due to a decline in the coverage of complete routine immunisation. We achieved 92% routine immunisation in 2018, but by 2022 it had fallen to 87.8%,’ Yahya said. ‘I urge the Health Ministry to be vigilant for outbreaks of measles in Indonesia and to be ready to declare a KLB if growth cannot be controlled,’ he added. Health Ministry data shows that, during 2025, there were 63,769 suspected measles cases, with 11,094 laboratory-confirmed and 69 deaths (case fatality rate 0.1%). Based on records up to the seventh week of 2026 or the end of February, Indonesia recorded 8,224 suspected measles cases, 572 confirmed cases, and 4 deaths (CFR 0.05%). There were 21 suspected measles outbreaks and 13 laboratory-confirmed measles outbreaks across 17 regencies and cities in 11 provinces during that period. Acting Director-General of Disease Prevention, Dr Andi Saguni, explained that suspected measles cases detected in 2025 rose by 147% compared with 2024, making strengthening early warning systems a top priority. ‘We will continue to strengthen measles surveillance nationwide, including epidemiological investigations within 24 hours of case detection and real-time reporting through the Early Warning and Response System (SKDR),’ he said. He explained that measles is highly contagious and requires vigilance and rapid response. ‘Measles has a very high transmission rate. Therefore, every rise in cases must be responded to quickly through robust surveillance and timely reporting,’ Andi added. Increases in measles cases have also been reported in various regions worldwide, including Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, which heighten the risk of cross-border transmission. Indonesia also received a notification under the International Health Regulations (IHR) related to a measles case involving an Australian national who travelled to and stayed temporarily in Indonesia. All such cases have been declared recovered, and cross-border coordination continues. The Health Ministry emphasised that it will continue to enhance national vigilance through strengthened surveillance, rapid response to KLB, and cross-sector collaboration with regional governments to prevent the spread of measles in Indonesia.