Polio Re-Appears in Indonesia After Immunization Decreasing

Liputan6.com, Aceh - The Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has determined the finding of Polio in Aceh as an Extraordinary Event (KLB). The decision came after Polio re-appeared in Indonesia after WHO declared Indonesi was free of Polio in 2014.

Unexpectedly, in 2022, Indonesia found another Polio patient in Aceh province. The government admits that the immunization for polio has been low. The government has now mobilized immunization in Aceh.

"Each discovery of Polio case is an extraordinary event," said Director General of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) of the Ministry of Health Maxi Rein Rondonuwu during an online press conference, Saturday (19/11/2022).

He explained that polio immunization coverage in recent years has been low. Polio immunization, both drip polio (OPV) and injectable polio (IPV), has decreased.

In 2021 there was a decrease in OPV4 immunization to 80.2 percent compared to the previous year. However, for IPV vaccination there was an increase to 66.2 percent of the prior year's 37.7 percent.

Unfortunately, immunization rates are not evenly distributed. There are 30 provinces and 415 regions/cities in the high-risk category for Polio because of low immunization rates.

Lower immunization rates have occurred in regions/cities of Aceh in 2022 as well. The province is then categorized as "red" level.

"In 2022 for OPV4, all Aceh is red, especially for the IPV, almost all of which did not operate in Aceh," said Maxi.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had given Indonesia a polio-free certificate in 2014. Indonesia is the 16th country to report a type 2 polio case this year.

"So, one case must be reported as an outbreak (KLB), because in Indonesia (the virus) had been declared eradicated but it turns out that there is still wild polio virus," explained Maxi.

Currently, the whole world is trying to eradicate polio cases before 2026. And thus, even one case finding of withered paralysis in any country and for any reason must be reported for examination, said Maxi.