Diseases Threaten Indonesia’s Economic Health

Indonesia's high rate of economic growth could fall victim to its high rate of tropical disease, warns a study by a team of U.S.-based academics and disease experts from the World Health Organization.

Published in the peer-reviewed journal PLoS One, "An Emerging Market Economy Beset by Neglected Tropical Diseases" reports that Indonesia has some of the world's highest concentrations of these diseases, including dengue and leprosy.

Commonly found in low-income countries recovering from conflict or suffering from poor economic growth, these conditions "impair physical and cognitive development, contribute to mother and child illness" and "make it difficult to farm or earn a living," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That's a worrisome prospect for Indonesia. Economic growth has averaged 6% in recent years, and the middle class is projected to more than double in size over the next decade.

But development agencies say parts of this sprawling archipelago aren't feeling the benefits. In Indonesia's far east, for example, undernourishment and maternal mortality are widespread.

According to the study, Indonesia is the only country in Southeast Asia with endemic schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease prevalent in communities without potable water or adequate sanitation.

In addition, almost 10% of the world's new leprosy cases occur in Indonesia, and the World Health Organization warns of "a serious and emerging threat from dengue fever."

An article published in PLoS One last month estimated the economic impact of dengue in Indonesia in 2010 at more than $323 million. Dengue has long been a public-health threat in Southeast Asia, and record numbers of cases have been reported recently in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, where the article estimates the 2010 impact at $128 million.

If Indonesia doesn't better control these diseases, the new study says, "they could thwart future growth and economic gains because of their adverse impact on child development, labor, and the health of girls and women."

Public-health measures have made some progress. More recently, the Indonesian Ministry of Health has unrolled programs as part of a national action plan aimed at eliminating these diseases. They include education programs that teach children about hand washing and improved sanitation.

But this latest study indicates that if it wants to keep the growth train running, Indonesia will need to step up its outreach.

source: blogs.wsj.com