Monkey pox or Mpox spreading in Indonesia with up to 88 cases, Minister of Health: It can be treated, there is already a vaccine

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.TV – The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenkes RI) recorded 88 cases of monkey pox or Mpox in Indonesia so far.

The first case of Mpox was confirmed on 20 August 2023. In 2023, Indonesia again reported Mpox cases, which is 73 confirmed cases, and in 2024 there were 14 cases.

Responding to these findings, the Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the death of monkeypox in Indonesia is low and still under control.

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Health Minister Budi then asked the public not to worry too much because monkeypox can be treated.

“In Indonesia there are more cases of the clade IIB variant, this can be treated and the death rate is very small, everyone who gets sick in Indonesia will recover, so you don’t have to worry , especially if it is smallpox, there is already a vaccine. , right,” said Health Minister Budi, as reported from BetweenMonday (26/8/2024).

He confirmed that until now, Mpox cases in Indonesia are still recorded at 88 from 2022 and in 2023 it rose, then fell again in 2024.

“In Indonesia itself, in 2024 there may be around 12-14 cases and there were none recently. “Yesterday there was one, still possible, but now we are investigating if it is really Mpox because yesterday there were four, but three turned out to be negative, the one this is being studied in the laboratory,” he said.

Previously, the Acting Head of the Ministry of Health’s Communications and Public Services Bureau, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said that there was no need for mass Mpox vaccination for the Indonesian people yet.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has not recommended this either. Nadia explained that priority is being given to the vaccine at the moment for groups that are at risk of being exposed to the virus.

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Regarding the supply of Mpox vaccine, Nadia said that this year’s stock is still sufficient, so there is no need to increase it.

However, everyone can increase their awareness of the spread of monkeypox, that is to limit physical and sexual contact with Mpox victims or suspects, avoiding changing sexual partners , wash their hands regularly, and always maintain personal hygiene.

For your information, monkeypox is a skin disease caused by a rare viral disease from animals (zoonosis) or commonly known as monkeypox virus.

This disease was first discovered in 1970 in Kongi, South Africa. Monkey pox is mentioned because monkeys are the primary host of the monkey pox virus.