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JAKARTA: The Indonesian tourist island of Lombok is fighting malaria, the authorities said, declaring a health emergency after a series of earthquakes in July and August, which forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
According to estimates, earthquakes and aftershocks that killed nearly 500 people caused damage of Rs. 5 trillion (RM1.4 billion) on hospitals and public infrastructure on the north coast of the island.
After the earthquake, aid groups reported that several hundred thousand homeless people were camped in open fields, refusing to take refuge inside the house while the tremors continued.
Women and children are among the 128 infected, Reuters Rahman told Sahnan Putra, the head of the West Lombok Health Agency.
"This is an extraordinary event," Putra said, confirming that an emergency had been declared.
The local government was seeking 3.4 billion rupees (RM 952,000) from central and regional governments to help fund mosquito nets, test kits and emergency interventions, he added.
Although malaria is endemic in western Lombok, recent tests have revealed a surge in infections, said another regional official.
"There has been a mass blood survey and the entire community has been monitored," said Marjito, the head of the West Nusatenggara Health Agency, the province that houses Lombok.
The incident was treated as a "standard epidemic," said Marjito, adding that people who were HIV-positive were treated, counseled, and their environment was sprayed with disinfectant.
Many infected people lived in tents after the earthquakes and did not rest properly, which made them more vulnerable, he added.
"When people with malaria are weak, that's when the problems come up," said Marjito, adding that the authorities are mapping areas where malaria is endemic and plan to distribute thousands of mosquito nets as a preventive measure. – Reuters
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