By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
While Indonesia, like virtually every country, battles the rise in coronavirus disease, or COVID-19 cases and deaths, a mosquito borne disease prominent in much of the tropical world is spiking in the country year to date.
According to the Indonesia Health Ministry, 39,860 people have been diagnosed with dengue fever in the first three months of the year, a 15.7 percent rise compared with the same period last year. In 2019, 137,761 cases were reported, double the number in 2018.
With the one-two punch of COVID-19 and dengue, people are concerned with Indonesia’s already struggling medical infrastructure. “Even before COVID-19, the capacity and quality of medical infrastructure was already an issue in Indonesia,” said Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia. “Other diseases… are not only getting less treatment, but are transferred to other hospitals with probably less-proper facilities. This is very concerning because not only is their condition getting worse, but the mortality rate from other diseases might also increase.”
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