Yesterday: Measles-rubella immunisation drive and Mount Semeru cold lahar disaster
Jakarta — Several humanitarian events occurred across Indonesia throughout Thursday, 26 February, including the Health Ministry’s accelerated measles-rubella immunisation campaign in response to a foreign national contracting measles, and police assisting primary school pupils in crossing Mount Semeru’s cold lahar flows.
Response to foreign national measles case: Health Ministry accelerates immunisation drive next week
The Health Ministry announced it would intensify measles and rubella (MR) immunisation for preschool and kindergarten children beginning the following week as a response to a notification from Australia regarding a measles case involving a foreign national who had travelled to Indonesia.
“We conduct immunisation strengthening on a routine basis and MR catch-up immunisation, particularly in areas with low coverage. We are doing this. Secondly, we are providing additional MR immunisation in areas experiencing outbreaks in 2025-2026. This additional MR programme is a crash initiative,” said Acting Director-General of Disease Control at the Health Ministry Andi Saguni in Jakarta, Thursday.
To improve coverage in areas with low immunisation rates due to high vaccine refusal, the ministry sought to engage local governments, influential figures including religious leaders and professional organisations, to disseminate information about the importance of such immunisation.
National Nutrition Agency requests nutrition service units end partnerships with suppliers “marking up” free nutrition meal programme materials
The Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, called on the Nutrition Service Fulfilment Units (SPPG) to terminate partnerships with suppliers increasing prices or marking up raw materials for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme to obtain personal profit.
Nanik made this statement in response to numerous reports from SPPG about suppliers frequently marking up food raw material prices for the MBG kitchen programme. She reminded all SPPG personnel never to compromise with suppliers applying fraudulent practices that could taint the MBG programme.
“Remember! SPPG heads, financial supervisors, nutrition supervisors, never agree to the demands, and certainly do not cooperate with SPPG suppliers marking up food raw material prices for this MBG programme, especially with poor quality food materials,” she stated in an official statement in Jakarta, Thursday.
Mount Semeru rainfall lahar tremors recorded for nearly four hours
Rainfall lahar tremors at Mount Semeru in Lumajang District, East Java were recorded for nearly four hours due to heavy rain pounding Java’s highest mountain on Thursday.
“During the observation period on Thursday from 00.00-06.00 WIB, one lahar flow tremor was recorded with an amplitude of 17 mm and duration of 13,304 seconds or 3 hours 42 minutes,” said Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer Sigit Rian Alfian in a written report received in Lumajang.
In addition to lahar tremors, seismic activity over the previous six hours also recorded 17 eruption/explosion earthquakes with amplitudes of 11-22 mm and durations of 65-104 seconds, three rockfall earthquakes with amplitudes of 2-3 mm and durations of 33-40 seconds, and one tremor earthquake with an amplitude of 6 mm and duration of 51 seconds.
Police in Lumajang assist primary school pupils crossing Mount Semeru cold lahar
Members of Candipuro Police Substation, Lumajang Police Resort, directly assisted students and residents in crossing the swift cold lahar flows in the Regoyo River located in Jugosari Village, Lumajang District, East Java.
“Three Candipuro Police Substation personnel took turns carrying pupils from State Primary School No. 03 Jugosari from Sumberlangsep Hamlet whilst crossing the river to attend school,” said Head of Public Relations Section at Lumajang Police Resort Ipda Suprapto in a written statement received in Lumajang, Thursday.
According to him, this was a precautionary measure following an earlier incident in which a female pupil was swept away by Mount Semeru’s rainfall lahar whilst heading to school on Monday, 23 February.