Indonesia: Minister of Health Comments from "Handling of BF & Pandemic Influ" Meeting

Menkes SUPPORTS ESTABLISHMENT KOMNAS ZOONOSA

Jakarta, 10/3/2010 (Kominfo-Newsroom) - Minister of Health of Indonesia Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih welcomes the establishment of the National Commission plans Zoonosa (diseases originating from animals). The new Commission was formed to handle the outbreak of diseases and viruses that can be handled animal sourced quickly.
"More than 60 percent of diseases originating from animals, so better to stay there as the coordinator of the institution," said Minister of Health at the opening of National Coordination Meeting on "Handling of Bird Flu and Pandemic Influenza" in Jakarta, Wednesday (10 / 3).
According to him, the handling of bird flu & pandemic influenza in Indonesia 2005-2009 period has been running well and successfully, even if the problem persists, due in 2010 were still detected a case of avian influenza (H5N1) in humans, and WHO declared pandemic influenza A New (H1N1) is still going on despite the over the top.
For that, said the minister, the most important thing related to pandemic influenza is the preservation and improvement of preparedness to cope with the next influenza pandemic that occurred as a result of mutation or reassortment "virus of avian influenza or bird flu virus H5N1 is highly pathogenic.
"Therefore, the plan of national influenza pandemic preparedness continue to be maintained and enhanced to be able to cope with an influenza pandemic that turned out to arise again and time at which it is difficult to predict," said Minister of Health.
He added, during the bird flu is still endemic in animal populations, especially poultry, in most parts of Indonesia, as long as it is also the possibility of human bird flu virus still exists.
The government, he said, currently under review to replace the National Commission for Avian Influenza Zoonosa with the National Commission. It was considered necessary for handling the various outbreaks of running a systematic and not temporary (adhoc).
Stated, it will Zoonosa Commission is expected to accommodate the handling of bird flu, anthrax, rabies, and others. Commission also will handle the task of handling the bird flu virus is still handled the National Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Influenza (FBPI).
Based on Presidential Regulation No. 7 of 2006, he said, is adhoc FPBI Commission, and his tenure ended on March 13, 2010. Has achieved success include West Kalimantan province has been declared free of bird flu based on RI Mentan Decree No. 316 Year 2010 dated January 21, 2010.
The case of bird flu (H5N1) was first discovered in poultry in Indonesia in August 2003, while the virus infects humans was recorded in July 2005 in Tangerang. At the national level, endemic H5N1 in poultry occurred in a sporadic in many areas, and only two provinces (Gorontalo and North Maluku) are declared free of bird flu in poultry.
In 2009, the number of cases of human bird flu found in 13 provinces and 51 districts / cities, with the CFR (Case Fatlity Rate) of 82.2 percent. A total of 162 people tested positive for infection, and 134 of whom died. (T.Jul / ysoel)