1) DEALING WITH MALNUTRITION AND MEASLES IN ASMAT

2) REGENT OF ASMAT AND PAPUA GOVERNOR REFUSED PRESIDENT’S OFFERED ON RELOCATION

3) Why Children are Dying of Measles in Papua, Indonesia

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http://tabloidjubi.com/eng/dealing-malnutrition-measles-asmat/

1) DEALING WITH MALNUTRITION AND MEASLES IN ASMAT 

Admin Jan 27, 2018

Evacuation of children with measles and malnutrition in Asmat during health crisis – Jubi/supplied

Jayapura, Jubi– When the attention of the central government was absorbed into the case of malnutrition and measles outbreaks in Asmat Regency, a similar incident that resulted 23 toddlers’ dead has been arisen from Pegunungan Bintang.

Integrated Humanity Task Force team has evacuated 14 children with malnutrition and measles from Atsi District to RSUD Agats in Asmat Regency, Papua, on Friday, January 19^th.

Head of the Papua Police Public Relations A.M Kamal said eleven of fourteen children are diagnosed with broken legs and hands, while two were infected with measles.

“The eleven patients were referred to the Agats Public Hospital using Polair Mimika Police vessel,” he said.

Before evacuating, a team of four personnel and one motorist delivered medical supplies and foodstuffs from Bhayangkari Region of Papua, Bank Papua, Bank BRI, and other agencies. The stuffs were include biscuits, milk for toddlers, mineral water, rice, and cooking oil.

Papua Police Head (Kapolda) Inspector General Boy Rafli Amar also briefly visited the Atsi sub district to observe the on the spot conditions, including to see the children who exposed to measles and Malaria and their mothers that were being treated in the Atsi Sub-district Health Center.

Kapolda said, the malnourished patients who had been evacuated by the task force team will get a better treatment.

As quoted by Antara, Kombes Pol A.M. Kamal explained that the Integrated Task Force of Polda Papua held a treatment for 472 Asmat people with measles and malnutrition who live in eight villages in Asmat District.

The treatments were conducted on Saturday, January 20^th  in two sub-districts, namely Aip Sub-district which consisted of Kampung Kawet, Mausi, Comoro, Satoyot, Tomor Airo-Airo and Awiyu Sub-district consisting of Sagare, Yepu and Wagi Villages.

“Of the 472 patients who received the treatment, ten were referred to Puskemas (health centre) Atsi with a diagnosis of measles, dehydration and malnutrition; and immunized citizens of 112 people. In early January there were five children who died there due to measles,” he said.

Outbreaks of measles and malnutrition that have occurred in Asmat Regency since September 2017 have caused 68 children and under-fives to die. This report caused Jakarta to be shocked then mobilize the team to overcome the situation.

Regent of Asmat Elisa Kambu acknowledged, since September 2017 Health Office of Asmat Regency records the presence of measles disease. But just 23 December they had received a report from the Bishop of Agats, Aloysius Murwito of the children who died in Kampung As, Pulau Tiga District.

“I myself also found a toddler who died and dozens of children suffering from measles and malnutrition in Kampung As and Atat, then I immediately had ordered the head of health office to overcome it,” said Kambu during a coordination meeting with the Presidential Staff Team (KSP), Health Ministry team, Ministry of Social Affairs, Papua Province, TNI and Papua Police on Wednesday, January 16^th, as quoted by Antara.

According to the Regent his team had started work on January 1^st  to January 11^th  and has treated hundreds of patients with measles. A total of 393 of them were outpatients and 175 had to undergo hospitalization.

“There are obstacles that occur when dealing with this outbreak, there are only 12 doctors and one special doctor in Asmat,” he said.

From 16 health centres (Puskesmas) which are scattered, only seven have doctors. Lack of health equipment and distances far apart had contributed to the shocking number of victims.

Father Hendrik Huda, who accompanied the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) team, said that the district of Asmat is almost 90 percent water-covered and all its citizens spread across 23 districts (sub-districts) living on the banks of the river.

“Most of them live and eat directly from what nature had provide, looking for fish and sago, they often leave their houses by the paddle boats with their families down the river and make small huts to live for food, this livelihood that makes them need to go far to get good nutrition,” he said.

Meanwhile, Yan Akobiarek from the Remote Humanitarian Community Care (Kopkedat) of Papua asked the government not only to see the big problems that occurred in Papua such as the outbreak, but also the small problems.

“The smallest thing must be considered before it becomes a big problem,” he told Jubi in Jayapura, Wednesday (December 17).

According to Yan, what happens today is not only KLB in Asmat, but also in some areas in Papua such as Korowai which is also in the administrative area of ​​Asmat Regency.

“I take the example as in Baigon, Mabul, Amakot, Ayak and surrounding areas, many people are experiencing the same thing, but the case does not explode so that the various diseases were not known to many people,” he said.

When attention was drawn to health issues in Asmat District, it was reported that in Okbab District, Pegunungan Bintang District, malnutrition cases also occurred causing 23 infants to die in Kampung Pedam.

Reports received by the Papua Health Office are the under-five mortality occurring from December 6, 2017 to January 11, 2018. (Koran Jubi/Zely A)

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http://tabloidjubi.com/eng/regent-asmat-papua-governor-refused-presidents-offered-relocation/

2) REGENT OF ASMAT AND PAPUA GOVERNOR REFUSED PRESIDENT’S OFFERED ON RELOCATION

AdminJan 27, 2018

Bogor, Jubi – Elisa Kambu, the Regent of Asmat considers that efforts to relocate Asmat people are not possible.

“Relocation to new places is impossible, (even though) the relocation was intended by the President in order to make improvements of the surrounding communities in the districts and villages they live in,” Elisa said at Bogor Palace on Tuesday (January 23).

Elisa delivered the statement in a joint press statement after having a meeting with President Joko Widodo at Bogor Palace, West Java.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo, Minister of Health Nila Moeloek, Minister of Social Affairs Idrus Marham, Head of Staff Office of President Moeldoko, Regent of Asmat Elisa Kambu, Vice Regent of Nduga Regency Wentius Nimiangge and Papua Governor Lukas Enembe.

Previously President Joko Widodo had offered the relocation as an option to overcome the measles and malnutrition outbreaks in Asmat. Cases of measles and malnutrition in Papua are scattered in several areas including Pegunungan Bintang Regency. Those even happened repeatedly.

“Because moving people is not that easy, it is related to culture and customs, customary rights, and how they plant, gathering food etc. We will take care of the people, we would guarantee them with better access,” Elisha added.

According to Elisa, health facilities such as Puskesmas (health centre) have existed in all district capitals (sub-districts), but the problem is how to maximize the operation.

 

“We hope the people would stay in their village, not in the forest or elsewhere, we do not intend to move them from the village, far from their own place and territory,” said Elisha.

Papua Governor Lukas Enembe said that the most likely relief is to improve their own place within a district range by building housing and roads.

“We cannot move them elsewhere,” Lukas said.

Social Minister Idrus Marham said that the President asked for an integrated and comprehensive approach to deal with the outbreaks.

“We cannot work alone, the president also said that because this problem (not) only occurs in Asmat, it needs to look at other districts (and regencies) in Papua in order to anticipate everything,” said Idrus.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Nina Moeloek said he would go to Papua on Wednesday (24/1).

“After the critical condition we will think about rehabilitation and the long-term solution, one of which has been mentioned (by the governor) is to make a good shelter around the village to accommodate people nomadic livelihood. We must also take care of its fuel, we might cooperate with Ministy of Forestry to cultivate sago as their main local food, we should improve it, also fish processing,” she said.

The outbreaks of measles and malnutrition occurred in Asmat District since September 2017 which had resulted in 68 infants and children died.

On January 1-11, 2018 the joint team was reported to have treated hundreds of patients with measles, 393 of whom were outpatients and 175 of whom were hospitalized.

A number of obstacles that are experienced are the lack of doctors that there are only 12 doctors and one specialist in Asmat. (Antara)

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https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/01/26/why-children-are-dying-measles-papua-indonesia

3) Why Children are Dying of Measles in Papua, Indonesia

January 26, 2018 4:47PM EST Dispatches

Andreas Harsono, Indonesia Researcher

A sick child walks after getting medical treatment at Agats village in Asmat district, after the government dispatched military and medical personnel to the remote region of Papua to combat malnutrition and measles, Indonesia, January 22, 2018.

 © 2018 Reuters

A measles outbreak in Indonesia’s Papua province has killed an estimated 100 indigenous Papuan children this month. As measles is easily prevented with a safe and inexpensive vaccine, these deaths should never have happened.

The death toll underscores the Indonesian government’s neglect of Papuans’ basic health rights. The government blames these deaths, clustered in remote Asmat regency, on the nomadic lifestyle of Papuans there. But it has not explained why Asmat children were left out of national vaccination programs for measles and other deadly childhood illnesses.

Asmat, like many areas in Papua, lacks adequate healthcare services for its residents and has a serious doctor shortage. In my frequent travels throughout Papua and West Papua provinces over the past decade, I have routinely encountered clinics without doctors and doctors who had no medicines. That health service deficit is especially pernicious given that the resource-rich region generates massive tax revenue for Indonesia’s government, with the Freeport-McMoRan’s Grasberg copper mine alone delivering US$600 million in taxes annually.

But health indicators suggest little of that money trickles back to indigenous Papuans. Papua has the lowest life expectancy in Indonesia and the highest infant, child, and maternal mortality rates. The government compounds its health delivery inadequacies by severely restricting access of international nongovernmental organizations to Papua. They include groups that provide much-needed healthcare services,such as the Dutch aid organization Cordaid. Those restrictions are related to a decades-long ban on access of foreign journalists and other independent observers to the region, the site of a low-level pro-independence insurgency, on overblown security reasons.

After visiting Papua last April, the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to health, Dainius Pūras, said he was “concerned about the health status of ethnic Papuans,” and called for greater government attention and resources to improve their health services. Although President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in December 2015 vowed to improve health care in Papua, his government has focused almost exclusively on physical infrastructure investment in the region.

To prevent the deaths of more children, Indonesia’s health ministry should set up an effective vaccination program in Papua. Additionally, the government should recognize that international organizations – and allowing media to freely report in Papua – will bolster official efforts to identify and address gaps in Papua’s public health delivery systems. Asmat’s indigenous children should be neglected no longer.

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