MALARIA PERDHAKI, Jakarta – According to the latest data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, malaria cases in Indonesia remain a serious challenge. Out of a total of 749,055 tests conducted, 137,469 cases were confirmed positive for malaria. Of these, 119,981 patients have received standard treatment according to applicable medical procedures. Unfortunately, the disease continues to have fatal impacts, with 8 patients reported deceased, a decrease from the previous February data which recorded 23 deaths.

These figures continue to highlight the importance of prevention efforts, early detection, and timely treatment to curb the spread of malaria. Various parties, including the Perdhaki Malaria Program, remain actively involved in raising public awareness through education and ensuring the availability of healthcare services in malaria-affected areas.

The Perdhaki Malaria Program Manager, Dr. Yohanes Ari Hermawan, said in Jakarta on Wednesday (April 9, 2025) that efforts to combat malaria must increasingly strengthen advocacy movement synergy. “We at the Perdhaki Malaria Program have the ‘ABC’ concept, which has long been the program’s strategy. This needs to be increasingly synergized. This means the concept is not just a strategy on paper but truly implemented together. In other words, synergy. Everyone is involved. For example, in the field, we expect the participation of local governments, religious institutions, and community leaders,” said Dr. Ari.

Dr. Ari also added that advocacy synergy should be understood as the active role of the Perdhaki Malaria Program in ensuring that malaria management is not solely the responsibility of medical personnel or the government, but also involves active community participation. Through advocacy, Dr. Ari said, the Perdhaki Malaria Program encourages the involvement of various parties—from local governments and religious institutions to community leaders—to become more aware and contribute to malaria prevention and control efforts. This advocacy aims to create broad support for policies and programs that strengthen malaria prevention efforts at the community level.

“After achieving synergy in advocacy efforts, the next step is implementing Behavior Change Communication. Here, changing individual and environmental behaviors through effective communication becomes very important. So far, at Perdhaki, educational activities and discussions in villages, communities, and schools have been an integral part of delivering health messages related to malaria,” explained Dr. Ari.

According to Dr. Ari, the synergy between advocacy and behavior change communication is completed by community empowerment efforts, where the Perdhaki Malaria Program instills the idea that the community has the potential and responsibility to participate in the movement against malaria.

“This empowerment is realized through cadre training, community capacity building, and the establishment of community-based monitoring systems aimed at creating self-reliance in maintaining malaria-free environments. By integrating these three approaches synergistically, the ABC strategy of the Perdhaki Malaria Program becomes a relevant and impactful social intervention model for sustainable malaria eradication,” concluded Dr. Ari.

This information was compiled by the Public Communication and Publication team of the Perdhaki Malaria Program. It may be quoted by the press. For further information, please contact us.