Jakarta, Jan 18 (Antara) - Indonesia is the only country in Southeast Asia, which still has schistosomiasis problem and is resolved to totally eradicate the snail fever by 2019.
"In the acceleration phase, we have targeted to reduce the rate of incidence of the disease in humans, animals, and intermediary snails to zero percent by 2019," Health Minister Nila Moeloek stated, at the launch of Schistosomiasis Eradication Roadmap 2019-2025 at the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Agency, Jakarta, on Wednesday (Jan 17).
Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever and bilharzia, is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. The parasite may cause infection to the urinary tract or the intestines. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, or blood in the urine.
Those who have been infected for a long time may experience liver damage, kidney failure, infertility, or bladder cancer, according to Wikipedia.
In children, it may cause poor growth and learning difficulty. The disease is spread through contact with freshwater contaminated with the parasites. These parasites are released from infected freshwater snails.
The disease is especially common among children in developing countries as they are more likely to play in contaminated water. Other high risk groups include farmers, fishermen, and people using unclean water for daily living. It belongs to the group of helminth infections.
The disease can be diagnosed by the eggs of the parasite seen in a person's urine or stool. It can also be confirmed through the presence of antibodies against the disease in the blood.
In areas where the disease is common, the medication praziquantel may be given once a year to the entire group. This is done to decrease the number of people infected and, consequently, the spread of the disease. Praziquantel is also the treatment recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for those who are known to be infected.
In Indonesia, based on data from the Indonesian Health Ministry in 2016, snail fever is only found in five villages in Sigi District and 23 villages in Poso District, Central Sulawesi.
Hence, the government, through the Ministry of National Development Planning and Ministry of Health, has launched a schistosomiasis eradication roadmap program that will guide efforts to eliminate the disease.
"The Schistosomiasis Eradication Roadmap 2018-2025 is launched to increase the commitment of all stakeholders at the central and regional levels to support efforts to eradicate schistosomiasis in Indonesia," Minister of National Development Planning/Head of the National Planning Agency Bambang Brodjonegoro stated in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Schistosomiasis, known locally as "Demam Keong or Snal Fever," is a disease caused by worms called schistosoma leading to symptoms of enlarged liver and spleen that can be fatal if proper treatment is not administered.
The Schistosomiasis Eradication Roadmap for the 2018-2025 period is intended to guide the program and budget provision of each ministry-related sector for eradicating the fever at endemic sites.
Although the roadmap covered a period of 2018-2025, yet the government is determined to totally eradicate the disease by 2019. Health Minister Moeloek mentioned the need for support from cross-sector, such as the Ministry of Agriculture, in the management of livestock, to prevent livestock from contracting the schistosoma worms.
The acceleration phase of the roadmap will be 2018-2019, where the target is to solve problems holistically from humans and intermediary animals to environmental health. For humans, a mass treatment is done once a year. As for livestock, improved management and mass treatment will be done twice a year.
The snail, which is an intermediate in transmitting the disease, will also be chemically eradicated. In addition, the treatment of agricultural land using appropriate method is essential to remove the habitat of the worms.
Moeloek mentioned that the Ministry of Public Works and People's Housing should also provide access to sanitation and clean water in people's dwellings to avoid the emergence of the diseases caused due to worms.
The target is to maintain zero percent prevalence of schistosomiasis in humans, livestock, and intermediate snails by 2020 to 2024. Furthermore, by 2025, the government can declare its eradication and maintain the performance.
According to Minister Brodjonegoro, funding to eradicate schistosomiasis is sourced from the state, provincial, and district budgets, as well as from village funds and development partners.
Schistosomiasis is rampant in Indonesia in 28 villages in the districts of Poso and Sigi, Central Sulawesi Province.
The case of "snail fever" in humans in the region is only 0.8 percent of the population. However, snails and livestock are still the carriers of schistosomiasis and can pass on the disease to humans. Infection rates in snails and livestock can reach 1.22-10.53 percent and 5.56-40 percent, respectively.
In addition, worms that cause schistosomiasis are commonly found in abandoned agricultural land and places with poor access to sanitation and clean water facilities.
Hence, a roadmap to eradicate schistosomiasis involves coordination between the central and local governments as well as cross-sectoral ministries.
Schistosomiasis disease has existed since 35 years ago and has not been resolved. This disease exists only in Indonesia, within the Asia Pacific region, according to Minister Moeluk.
The minister of health stated that if the handling of diseases is only in one sector, and not holistically, it would not lead to the elimination of the disease totally.
***4***(A014/INE)EDITED BY INE(T.A014/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 18-01-2018 22:07:4 |
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