Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has readied two laboratories for its readiness to conduct early detection of monkeypox and to widely spreading information about the disease to the public.
Coordinator of the Expert Team for the Handling of Foot and Mouth Diseases (FMD), Wiku Adisasmito, stated that the government readiness related to the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an international health emergency for the disease.
"The government has designated two laboratories to conduct (monkeypox) sample tests," he noted in a virtual press statement here on Tuesday.
The two laboratories are the Bogor Agricultural University's (IPB's) Primate Animal Study Center (PSSP) laboratory in Bogor City, West Java Province, and the Prof. Sri Oemijati Research Laboratory on Infectious Disease of the Health Ministry’s Center for Health Development Policy (BKPK) in Jakarta.
"In addition, the government is increasing dissemination (of information) regarding monkeypox to improve public understanding concerning the disease," the official stated.
For instance, the dissemination of information will educate the public regarding the method of transmission of the disease, the matters that can increase the transmission rate, and the means to avoid the disease.
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"The attempts are expected to be able to increase public awareness of monkeypox to prevent the entry (of imported cases) and (local) transmission of the disease to Indonesia," Adisasmito added.
Earlier, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the nine suspected monkeypox cases in Indonesia had been confirmed negative. Hence, to date, no case of monkeypox was found in the country.
The minister also stated that smallpox vaccines are still considered effective in protecting recipients against monkeypox since the vaccines enable the recipients to produce antibodies against the disease throughout their lifetime.
His side has provided 500 units of monkeypox PCR test kits for surveillance purposes at various entry points across Indonesia and is planning to import additional test kits that will be disbursed to all provinces in July 2022.
Monkeypox has reportedly infected more than 16 thousand people in 75 countries, including some in Asia.
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