Evaluation of the Indonesian Early Warning Alert and Response System (EWARS) in West Papua, Indonesia.

Background: The Early Warning and Response System (EWARS) is Indonesia's national syndromic and early warning surveillance system for the rapid detection of infectious diseases and outbreaks. We evaluated EWARS in the remote West Papua province of Indonesia. Methods: Structured telephone interviews were conducted with 11 key informants from West Papuan health services. EWARS data were analysed for usefulness of reporting. Results: Most respondents reported that EWARS is important and useful in improving early detection of outbreaks. The system has led to increased disease control coordination among health jurisdictional levels in the province. However, respondents noted that the limited number of districts involved in the system affected representativeness, and some stated that only about 30-35% of districts in each regency were involved and trained in EWARS reporting, partly owing to lack of a mobile telephone network. Barriers to complete reporting and response to alerts included limited human and funding resources for surveillance, lack of epidemiological training, and technical limitations imposed by limited internet and mobile communication infrastructure in this remote region. Conclusion: Great progress has been made in integrating West Papua into a nationally consistent disease and outbreak detection system. Strategies for addressing barriers resulting from remoteness, constrained human, funding and laboratory resources, lack of training, and limited internet and communications infrastructure are needed if EWARS in West Papua is to advance.

A cross-sectional analysis of traditional medicine use for malaria alongside free antimalarial drugs treatment amongst adults in high-risk malaria endemic provinces of Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: The level of traditional medicine use, particularly Jamu use, in Indonesia is substantial. Indonesians do not always seek timely treatment for malaria and may seek self-medication via traditional medicine. This paper reports findings from the first focused analyses of traditional medicine use for malaria in Indonesia and the first such analyses worldwide to draw upon a large sample of respondents across high-risk malaria endemic areas. METHODS: A sub-study of the Indonesia Basic Health Research/Riskesdas Study 2010 focused on 12,226 adults aged 15 years and above residing in high-risk malaria-endemic provinces. Logistic regression was undertaken to determine the significant associations for traditional medicine use for malaria symptoms. FINDINGS: Approximately one in five respondents use traditional medicine for malaria symptoms and the vast majority experiencing multiple episodes of malaria use traditional medicine alongside free antimalarial drug treatments. Respondents consuming traditional medicine for general health/common illness purposes every day (odds ratio: 3.75, 95% Confidence Interval: 2.93 4.79), those without a hospital in local vicinity (odds ratio: 1.31, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.10 1.57), and those living in poorer quality housing, were more likely to use traditional medicine for malaria symptoms. CONCLUSION: A substantial percentage of those with malaria symptoms utilize traditional medicine for treating their malaria symptoms. In order to promote safe and effective malaria treatment, all providing malaria care in Indonesia need to enquire with their patients about possible traditional medicine use.

Measuring subnational under-5 mortality: lessons from a survey in the eastern Indonesian district of Ende.

There is an urgent need for measurements of the magnitude and determinants of under-5 mortality at the district level in Indonesia. This article describes a sample household survey conducted in Ende District, East Nusa Tenggara province. Complete birth histories were recorded from all women residing in a sample of 32 villages (7454 households) of Ende. The survey was conducted in early 2010, deriving measures for the period 2000-2009. The survey instrument also included key variables required to measure determinants of under-5 mortality. The results showed that there are significant differentials in under-5 mortality risk within Ende, ranging from 27 to 85 per 1000. This information will assist the district health office to implement maternal and child health programs to meet national targets for United Nations Millennium Development Goal 4. The findings provide robust mortality measures at the district level and demonstrate the feasibility of conducting such a study using local resources, in a short time, and with low costs.