Ministry of Health Mandates 24-Hour Reporting for Suspected Measles Cases

The Ministry of Health now requires all healthcare facilities to report suspected measles cases within a maximum of 24 hours. This regulation is contained in Circular Letter Number HK.02.02/C/1602/2026, issued amid the increasing number of cases and extraordinary events (KLB) of measles in several regions. Up to week 11 of 2026, 58 measles KLB have been recorded in 39 districts/cities across 14 provinces. Cases once reached 2,740 at the beginning of the year before declining to 177 cases. Acting Director General of Disease Control and Prevention at the Ministry of Health, Andi Saguni, emphasised the importance of rapid reporting to prevent wider transmission. “A quick response is very important to prevent wider transmission,” said Andi in a written statement on Saturday, 29 March 2026. In addition to the reporting obligation, the Ministry of Health has instructed hospitals and healthcare facilities to strengthen early warning systems. These steps include screening and triaging patients, providing isolation rooms, and enhancing infection control. Medical personnel and health workers are urged to increase discipline in prevention protocols because they are a high-risk group for infection due to direct contact with patients. Previously, the government has implemented various immunisation programmes such as Outbreak Response Immunization (ORI) and Catch-Up Campaign (CUC) in more than 100 districts/cities. However, the Ministry of Health assesses that additional steps are still needed to curb the spread of the disease. With this policy, the government hopes that the early detection and response system for measles cases can operate more quickly and effectively, while also reducing the risk of transmission in healthcare service facilities.