Text: Ghina Prameswari
Photo: Detik Health
Monkeypox has spread to 75 countries and infected more than 17,000 people. With the increasing number of spreads, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox as a global health emergency on July 23 last. Indonesia, although up to today (30/07) has not recorded a single case of monkeypox transmission, it is at a fairly high risk of spreading, considering that neighboring countries such as Singapore just announced the tenth case of monkeypox on Tuesday (26/07) yesterday.
In response to this, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenkes) immediately conducted surveillance at all country entrances – especially airports and ports. The Ministry of Health’s Director General of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) Maxi Rein Rondowu stated that surveillance of gay groups would also be carried out to reduce the number of monkeypox spreads.
This step was taken, he said, because the highest prevalence of monkeypox was experienced by people from that group. This statement can not only strengthen the negative stigma against gay people, but also put them in a dangerous position. Emphasizing surveillance on a particular group of people can build up the erroneous conception that monkeypox can only be spread through interactions with members of that group. Whereas Dicky Budiman as an epidemiologist from Griffith Australia has confirmed that monkeypox can infect anyone.
In addition, WHO Southeast Asia Regional Director Poonam Khetrapal Singh has also emphasized in his press conference that the most important thing is “focused response efforts and actions without stigma and discrimination.” The statement from the Ministry of Health – especially through the explicit mention of vulnerable groups – will actually distract the public from the real threat. And keep us away from finding solutions to the health crisis that will not only affect a handful of community groups, but also us as a collective. 
–
