The Indonesian Government, through the Ministry of Health, officially launched the 2025 National Meeting on the Dengue Control Program (P2DG), carrying the ambitious target: Ind

Through the Health Ministry, the Indonesian Government officially launched the 2025 National Meeting on the Dengue Control Program (P2DG), carrying the ambitious target: Indonesia Towards Zero Dengue Deaths by 2030. The meeting emphasized the importance of national health system preparedness for infectious disease crises, including dengue fever and other arboviruses.

Health Ministry’s Communicable Diseases Prevention Director Ina Agustina Isturini highlighted the need for a proactive health system, even before crises emerge. “Sometimes we only act when the enemy is right before our eyes. But we should already consider this an emergency, because the threat is real and right before us,” she stated.

According to data from the 2024 ASEAN Dengue Summit, Indonesia accounted for 66 percent of dengue-related deaths in Asia, making it the country with the highest number of cases in the ASEAN region. Throughout 2024, more than 257,000 dengue cases and 1,400 deaths were recorded.

These figures are backed by WHO reports, which indicate that most dengue-related deaths in Asia occur in Indonesia. Indonesia's annual upward trend of dengue cases is also closely linked to climate change. Variations in temperature, humidity, and rainfall patterns have accelerated the Aedes aegypti mosquito's life cycle and expanded its transmission range.

Ina noted that the previous ten-year cycle of case surges has now shortened to just three years, aligning with El Nino–La Nina patterns. The Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) explained that spikes occur during transitional phases when temperatures drop to levels ideal for mosquito breeding.

“It's not during extreme heat or cold, but when temperatures begin to cool. That’s the phase when mosquitoes lay eggs and hatch faster,” she explained on Thursday, June 19.

The Ministry promotes early detection, real-time reporting, and adaptive control programs in response to climate dynamics.

Fadjar S.M. Silalahi, Member of the Arbovirus Task Force at the Health Ministry, reported that by mid-2025, Indonesia had recorded 67,000 dengue cases and 297 deaths, with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 0.4 per 100,000 population, still under the national IKP benchmark.

He also emphasized that dengue response is not merely a medical issue, but a systemic one. “People don’t recognize the symptoms, primary care is unprepared, referrals are delayed, these all contribute,” he revealed.

As a solution, the Ministry prioritizes system and technology transformation, including two significant innovations:

1. SMILE (Electronic Logistics Inventory Monitoring System): a digital system for real-time monitoring of health logistics.
2. GRID (Integrated Dengue Response Movement): early detection, surveillance, and rapid response integration based on data, as implemented in Tangerang Regency.

“With SMILE, vaccine and logistics distribution can be monitored accurately. With GRID, local regions can act swiftly due to strong data and cross-sector collaboration,” Fadjar explained.

He also highlighted the growing risk of urbanization, high mobility, such as during Eid travel and school holidays, and the increasingly year-round nature of dengue transmission. “Spread is extremely fast in densely populated areas. Victims now include people in their productive years, even a 19-year-old died in just three days. It is a warning for all of us,” he stressed.

The WHO has noted that Indonesia’s reporting has not reached optimal levels due to system constraints. Indonesia has officially transitioned from the WHO’s SEARO to the Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO), committing to stronger global data reporting. “Our data has long been underreported. Now we will ensure Indonesia’s figures are visible, and the world understands the true scale of our challenge,” Fadjar concluded.

Writer: Juli
Editors: Untung S/Erik Limantara
Translator: Amirul Hakim

This article has been published on infopublik.id: https://infopublik.id/kategori/nasional-sosial-budaya/925220/indonesia-targetkan-nol-kematian-dengue-2030-lewat-transformasi-sistem-kesehatan