Jokowi Holds Limited Cabinet Meeting to Discuss Mpox Handling

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi gathered a number of ministers at Merdeka Palace today in Jakarta, August 27, 2024. Jokowi held a limited cabinet meeting to discuss Monkeypox or Mpox handling in Indonesia.

Some of the attending ministers are the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Hadi Tjahjanto, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, and Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita.

Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister of Communication and Informatics Budi Arie Setiadi, and Minister of Law and Human Rights Supratman Andi Agtas also attended the meeting.

Jokowi and his cabinet also discussed the preparation for the upcoming  Indonesia-Africa Forum in Bali slated for September 1-3, 2024.

On Saturday, August 17, 2024, the Ministry of Health mentioned there were 88 mpox cases in Indonesia thus far. In detail, confirmed mpox cases occurred in Jakarta with 59 cases, West Jaca with 13, Banten with 9, East Java with 3, Yogyakarta with 3, and Riau Islands with 1.

As many as 87 cases in the country have recovered from mpox. The weekly trend of mpox cases in Indonesia showed that the mpox infection in the country occurred mostly in October 2023.

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said Indonesia’s mpox cases are mostly clade IIB variants with low-level fatality. “It’s treatable and the fatality rate is significantly small, everyone who was infected in Indonesia has recovered, so don’t worry, especially with pox, there’s a vaccine already,” he said on Monday. 

Previously, Acting Head of the Communication and Public Service Siti Nadia Tarmizi said mass mpox vaccine for Indonesian citizens is currently unnecessary. “There’s no need, considering there’s no recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO),” she said.  

DANIEL A. FAJRI

Editor’s Choice: Jakarta Records 59 Mpox Cases by August 2024     

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