Government Prioritizes Accelerated Response to Infectious Diseases in Papua

MALARIA PERDHAKI–JAYAPURA. The government has demonstrated a strong commitment to making Papua the top priority in accelerating the response to and elimination of infectious diseases. This commitment was realized through the Technical Coordination Meeting (Rakortek) on the Acceleration of Infectious Disease Elimination in Papua, held on April 27–29, 2026, in Jayapura City.

This activity is part of the implementation of the President of the Republic of Indonesia’s quick win program, which focuses on combating major infectious diseases, namely malaria, tuberculosis (TB), and HIV/AIDS.

Health data show that the disease burden in Papua remains a serious challenge. Papua accounts for 90 percent of the nation’s malaria cases. In addition, around 12 percent of all people living with HIV (PLHIV) cases nationwide are found in Papua.

These challenges are compounded by the low detection rate of tuberculosis (TB) cases and the limited adherence of patients in completing treatment. For example, data from 2025 show that 11,624 TB cases were identified in Papua. However, only about 58 percent, or 6,794 cases, were successfully treated to completion.

Papua faces complex geographical and social challenges, meaning that disease control efforts can no longer rely solely on the health sector. Instead, a more comprehensive and collaborative approach is needed from upstream to downstream.

This synergy involves various stakeholders, including central and regional governments, religious institutions, civil society partners, and grassroots health cadres. One key pillar in strengthening community-level efforts is optimizing the role of health cadres through the transformation of Malaria Cadres into Perkasa Cadres (Perkuat Kader Satu / Strengthening Unified Cadres). This program is an initiative by Malaria Perdhaki aimed at strengthening the capacity of cadres to educate communities and provide integrated door-to-door health services covering malaria, HIV/AIDS, and TB.

Synergy between the central and regional governments is a determining factor in the success of infectious disease elimination programs. Leadership plays a strategic role in ensuring the optimization of health services through stronger regulations, budget allocation, and cross-sector coordination. The readiness of government institutions across the six provinces of Papua to collaborate serves as important capital in addressing these complex health challenges.