Positive Malaria Cases in Indonesia Tend to Increase Until 2024

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite, transmitted by the *Anopheles* mosquito.

Data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) shows that the number of positive malaria cases in Indonesia has tended to increase over the past five years.

In 2024, the number reached 543,965 positive malaria cases. This is the highest record since 2020, when the number was only 254,055 cases.

The Acting Director General of Disease Control at Kemenkes, Murti Utami, stated that this increase in cases is largely due to an increase in active case detection, particularly in endemic areas such as Papua, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), and parts of East Kalimantan.

"90% (of the 2024 cases) are contributed by Papua. Many of these cases are asymptomatic, due to repeated infections, up to three times," said Murti in an online press conference on Friday, April 25, 2025.

On the other hand, Kemenkes data indicates that approximately 90% of the Indonesian population is malaria-free. Five provinces that are officially malaria-free at the provincial level are Bali, Jakarta, Banten, West Java, and East Java.