Sub-national disparities in accessing anti-malarial drug treatment in eastern Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Poor access to health care providers was among the contributing factors to less prompt and ineffective malaria treatment. This limitation could cause severe diseases in remote areas. This study examined the sub-national disparities and predictors in accessing anti-malarial drug treatment among adults in Eastern Indonesia. METHODS: The study analyzed a subset of the 2018 National Basic Health Survey conducted in all 34 provinces in Indonesia. We extracted socio-demographic data of 4655 adult respondents diagnosed with malaria in the past 12 months in five provinces in Eastern Indonesia. The association between socio-demographic factors and the access to anti-malarial drug treatment was assessed using logistic regression. RESULTS: Over 20% of respondents diagnosed with malaria within last 12 months admitted that they did not receive anti-malarial drug treatment (range 12-29.9%). The proportion of untreated cases was 12.0% in East Nusa Tenggara, 29.9% in Maluku, 23.1% in North Maluku, 12.7% in West Papua, and 15.6% in Papua. The likelihood of receiving anti-malarial drug treatment was statistically lower in Maluku (adjusted OR = 0.258; 95% CI 0.161-0.143) and North Maluku (adjusted OR = 0.473; 95% CI 0.266-0.840) than those in Eastern Nusa Tenggara (reference). Urban respondents were less likely to receive malaria treatment than rural (adjusted OR = 0.545; 95% CI 0.431-0.689). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that there were sub-national disparities in accessing anti-malarial drug treatment in Eastern Indonesia, with a high proportion of untreated malaria cases across the areas. Findings from this study could be used as baseline information to improve access to anti-malarial drug treatment and better target malaria intervention in Eastern Indonesia.

An investigation of geographical clusters of leptospirosis during the outbreak in Pangandaran, West Java, Indonesia.

Leptospirosis is neglected in many tropical developing countries, including Indonesia. Our research on this zoonotic disease aimed to investigate epidemiological features and spatial clustering of recent leptospirosis outbreaks in Pangandaran, West Java. The study analysed data on leptospirosis notifications between September 2022 and May 2023. Global Moran I and local indicator for spatial association (LISA) were applied. Comparative analysis was performed to characterise the identified hotspots of leptospirosis relative to its neighbourhoods. A total of 172 reported leptospirosis in 40 villages from 9 sub-districts in Pangandaran District were analysed. Of these, 132 cases (76.7%) were male. The median age was 49 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 34-59 years). Severe outcomes including renal failure, lung failure, and hepatic necrosis were reported in up to 5% of the cases. A total of 30 patients died, resulting in the case fatality rate (CFR) of 17.4%. Moran's I analysis showed significant spatial autocorrelation (I=0.293; p=0.002) and LISA results identified 7 High-High clusters (hotspots) in the Southwest, with the total population at risk at 26,184 people. The hotspots had more cases among older individuals (median age: 51, IQR: 36-61 years; p<0.001), more farmers (79%, p=0.001) and more evidence of the presence of rats (p=0.02). A comprehensive One Health intervention should be targeted towards these high-risk areas to control the transmission of leptospirosis. More empirical evidence is needed to understand the role of climate, animals and sociodemographic characteristics on the transmission of leptospirosis in the area studied.

Geo-clusters and socio-demographic profiles at village-level associated with COVID-19 incidence in the metropolitan city of Jakarta: An ecological study.

The Special Capital Region of Jakarta is the epicentre of the transmission of COVID-19 in Indonesia. However, much remains unknown about the spatial and temporal patterns of COVID-19 incidence and related socio-demographic factors explaining the variations of COVID-19 incidence at local level. COVID-19 cases at the village level of Jakarta from March 2020 to June 2021 were analyzed from the local public COVID-19 dashboard. Global and local spatial clustering of COVID-19 incidence was examined using the Moran's I and local Moran analysis. Socio-demographic profiles of identified hotspots were elaborated. The association between village characteristics and COVID-19 incidence was evaluated. The COVID-19 incidence was significantly clustered based on the geographical village level (Moran's I = 0.174; p = .002). Seventeen COVID-19 high-risk clusters were found and dynamically shifted over the study period. The proportion of people aged 20-49 (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.016; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.012-1.019), proportion of elderly (≥50 years) (IRR = 1.045; 95% CI = 1.041-1.050), number of households (IRR = 1.196; 95% CI = 1.193-1.200), access to metered water for washing, and the main occupation of the residents were village level socio-demographic factors associated with the risk of COVID-19. Targeted public health responses such as restriction, improved testing and contact tracing, and improved access to health services for those vulnerable populations are essential in areas with high-risk COVID-19.

Space-time scan statistics of 2007-2013 dengue incidence in Cimahi City, Indonesia.

Four dengue serotypes threatened more than 200 million people and has spread to over 400 districts in Indonesia. Furthermore, 26 districts in most densely populated province, West Java, have been declared as hyperendemic areas. Cimahi is an endemic city with the highest population (14,969 people per square kilometer). Evidence on distribution pattern of dengue cases is required to discover the spread of dengue cases in Cimahi. A study has been conducted to detect clusters of dengue incidence during 2007-2013. A temporal spatial analysis was performed using SaTScan™ software incorporated confirmed dengue monthly data from the Municipality Health Office and population data from a local Bureau of Statistics. A retrospective space-time analysis with a Poisson distribution model and monthly precision was performed. Our results revealed a significant most likely cluster (p<0.001) throughout period of study. The most likely cluster was detected in the centre of the city and moved to the northern region of Cimahi. Cimahi, Karangmekar, and Cibabat village were most likely cluster in 2007-2010 (p <0.001; RR = 2.16-2.98; pop at risk 12% total population); Citeureup were detected as the most likely cluster in 2011-2013 (p <0.001; RR 5.77), respectively. Temporaly, clusters were detected in the first quarter of each year each. In conclusion, a dynamic spread of dengue initiated from the centre to its surrounding areas during the period 2007-2013. Our study suggests the use of GIS to strengthen case detection and surveillance. An in-depth investigation to relevant risk factors in high-risk areas in Cimahi city is encouraged.