Indonesia's health minister highlights improvement areas
18-Sep-14, Jakarta Post
Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi reflects on the achievements of the country’s health sector and the health challenges facing the new government.
Universal health coverage is about delivery of comprehensive and quality healthcare service.
Initially we were quite surprised about the significant increase in the maternal mortality rate from 228 per 100,000 live births in 2007 to 359 per 100,000 live births as presented in the 2012 Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey (SDKI). However, the recently released Global Health Statistics report cites that Indonesia’s maternal mortality rate stands at 190 per 100,000 live births, which means that we are on track and will achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number five on reducing maternal deaths. I don’t know which data I should hold on to, but I keep telling fellow health workers at all levels that percentages are not the only issue. Every single woman must be saved. We should not only focus on figures because the most important thing is to save both mothers and children.
Secondly, antiretroviral (ARV) treatment has been provided in all 34 provinces with Nunukan, North Kalimantan, being the latest region to have access to ARV treatment for patients living with HIV/AIDS. What we are very proud of is what we call “new HIV infections averted”. Of the total 1,630 HIV-positive pregnant women we tested as of June 2014, only 91 babies they gave birth to were HIV-positive, thanks to the ARV treatment they received. This means we are managing to protect the babies of HIV-positive pregnant women from becoming infected. With expanded access to ARV treatment, the rate of fatalities caused by the infection was reduced to 0.4 percent of total cases as of June 2014.