Jakarta – Health experts are pressing the government to provide easier access to health services in order to meet the needs of the poor in Indonesia, as required by the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
"The government should not only provide the public with easy access to health services in terms of distance, facilities and adequate free treatment for those who cannot afford it," Hasbullah Thabrany, head of the Association of South East Asian Public Health Education, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
He added that the most crucial health problems included in the MDGs list were maternal and child mortality, with an emphasis on getting expectant mothers to get regular check ups.
"Most of the mothers do not get checked during their pregnancies because they don't have enough money, so they don't know if there's something wrong with the pregnancy," Hasbullah said.
Stand Up and Speak Out events to highlight the importance of the MDGs were held in 24 cities nationwide Wednesday.
Laura Guarenti from the World Health Organization said that much was still to be done to reach the MDG maternal health targets. "The problems usually occur during and after the delivery process, and 65 percent of the process still happens at home," she told the Post.
She added that besides maternal mortality, the death rate for newborns was also quite high. "Access to emergency services for pregnant women and the procurement of obstetrical equipment are things that should be taken to reduce the maternal and infant mortality," Laura said.
According to the United Nations Development Program, Indonesia's maternal mortality rate in 2004 was the highest among Southeast Asia countries, with 307 deaths per 100,000 live births.
The MDGs for the health sector include the reduction of child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
Other goals are to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and to empower women, as well as ensuring environmental sustainability.
Azrul Azwar of the Medical School at the University of Indonesia said in order to reduce the number of malaria cases and communicable diseases, the government should focus on preventive action along with treatment.
"The most important thing is prevention, which can be done through strengthening the function of public health centers, or puskesmas, and holding training programs involving the public," he said.
Azrul added that instead of waiting for patients to come to them, health centers should also approach the public and hold effective campaigns on communicable and vector-carried diseases.
Hasbullah said such campaigns must be conducted in more colorful ways so that the message got across. In 2004, Indonesia had the highest rate of malaria in Asia, with 1.9 million people infected.