Jakarta, NU Online
The Indonesian government has asked its people to remain calm and not to worry about the swine flu pandemic in several countries in the American continent, Antara news agency reported.
"The swine influenza which is caused by the H1N1 virus in those countries occurs in the fall and winter but not in the summer. In Indonesia it is hot all the time and therefore we hope an epidemic will not happen in our country," Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said here on Monday.<>
She made the statement after attending a coordination meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for People`s Welfare office to anticipate the possible spread of swine influenza in Indonesia.
The health minister explained that the fatality rate in the swine flu outbreak in the Americas was around 6.4 percent, or much lower than the bird flu fatality rate which was more than 80 percent.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that fears of a global swine flue pandemic are growing with new infections in the United States and Canada on Sunday, and million of Mexicans stayed indoors to avoid the virus that has already killed up to 81 people.
While the deaths have been limited to Mexico, the flu had spread with 20 cases in the United States and six in Canada, and possible cases as far afield as Europe, Israel and New Zealand.
The World Health Organization has declared the flu a "public health emergency of international concern" that could become a pandemic, or the global outbreak of a serious disease.
Minister Supari said that although no swine flu case had so far been reported in Indonesia, the government had an adequate capacity to anticipate it.
She added that since the outbreak of bird flu in Indonesia in 2005, the government had made every possible effort to anticipate it and to prevent it from spreading nationwide.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Aburizal Bakrie said the government had prepared various supporting facilities including public health clinics, hospitals, laboratories, influenza surveillance networks, communication networks among related parties, and training for hospital staff and volunteers.
"We are considered to have made progress in bird flu management, and we have conducted bird-flu handling simulations several times. And our ability to manage bird flu epidemics can also be used to anticipate the spread of other diseases such as swine flu," Aburizal Bakrie said. (dar)
The Indonesian government has asked its people to remain calm and not to worry about the swine flu pandemic in several countries in the American continent, Antara news agency reported.
"The swine influenza which is caused by the H1N1 virus in those countries occurs in the fall and winter but not in the summer. In Indonesia it is hot all the time and therefore we hope an epidemic will not happen in our country," Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said here on Monday.<>
She made the statement after attending a coordination meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for People`s Welfare office to anticipate the possible spread of swine influenza in Indonesia.
The health minister explained that the fatality rate in the swine flu outbreak in the Americas was around 6.4 percent, or much lower than the bird flu fatality rate which was more than 80 percent.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that fears of a global swine flue pandemic are growing with new infections in the United States and Canada on Sunday, and million of Mexicans stayed indoors to avoid the virus that has already killed up to 81 people.
While the deaths have been limited to Mexico, the flu had spread with 20 cases in the United States and six in Canada, and possible cases as far afield as Europe, Israel and New Zealand.
The World Health Organization has declared the flu a "public health emergency of international concern" that could become a pandemic, or the global outbreak of a serious disease.
Minister Supari said that although no swine flu case had so far been reported in Indonesia, the government had an adequate capacity to anticipate it.
She added that since the outbreak of bird flu in Indonesia in 2005, the government had made every possible effort to anticipate it and to prevent it from spreading nationwide.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Aburizal Bakrie said the government had prepared various supporting facilities including public health clinics, hospitals, laboratories, influenza surveillance networks, communication networks among related parties, and training for hospital staff and volunteers.
"We are considered to have made progress in bird flu management, and we have conducted bird-flu handling simulations several times. And our ability to manage bird flu epidemics can also be used to anticipate the spread of other diseases such as swine flu," Aburizal Bakrie said. (dar)
