Papua, Indonesia's Province with the Highest Number of Positive Malaria Cases in 2023

The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) reported 418,546 positive malaria cases in Indonesia throughout 2023. This represents a slight 5.6% decrease compared to 2022, which recorded 443,530 cases.

Ninety-two percent of national malaria cases last year originated from Papua.

Specifically, Papua recorded 163,962 cases; Central Papua, 150,225 cases; South Papua, 43,862 cases; Highland Papua, 11,070 cases; West Papua, 10,170 cases; and Southwest Papua, 7,702 cases.

The remaining cases were distributed across East Nusa Tenggara, North Sumatra, East Kalimantan, and Riau, with the exact figures shown in the accompanying graph.

Despite this, Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono stated that 90% of the Indonesian population lives in malaria-free areas.

The provinces declared 100% malaria-free are Jakarta, West Java, East Java, Bali, and Banten.

“The target is for all regions to be malaria-free by 2030, utilizing various strategies,” said Dante during a working meeting with Commission XI of the DPR (House of Representatives) on Monday, May 25, 2024.

He explained that one of Kemenkes' efforts to eliminate malaria is the expansion of mass malaria medication (MOMAL) in the highest endemic areas in Indonesia.

“We hope malaria can be eliminated in these areas, and pilot projects have already been conducted in several locations in Papua,” said Dante.