VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Malaysia health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah. (File photo: Bernama) - 

The first highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drug Sofosbuvir (used in combination with another DAA) had been approved in the United States since 2013. 

The US$84,000 (RM356,000) 12-week treatment was the price of a medium-cost apartment in Kuala Lumpur.

Ravidasvir hydrochloride, available as Ravida Tablet 200mg, had been given conditional approval by the Malaysian Drug Control Authority on Jun 4. Malaysia was the first country in the world to approve its use.

The development of Ravidasvir was initiated by Malaysia’s Ministry of Health and the Geneva-based Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). The clinical studies were funded by Malaysian and Thailand health authorities, as well as other agencies, companies and organisations.

The development of Ravidasvir is the latest episode of Malaysia’s success story in making access to hepatitis C treatment possible.

Touted as the best combination therapy thus far, Health Ministry director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said it is possible to get a 12-week treatment using Ravidasvir and a generic version of Sofosbuvir at a cost of US$100 by getting it produced locally. This is cheaper than the current US$300 Daclatasvir-Sofosbuvir combination.

Patients with HIV co-infection require only a 12-week course compared with the 24-week Daclatasvir-Sofosbuvir, he said in a press conference on Jun 14.

Initial findings published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology on Apr 15 revealed that the Ravidasvir-Sofosbuvir combination showed a 97 per cent efficacy in curing 301 patients with chronic hepatitis C infection in Malaysia and Thailand between Sep 14, 2016 and Jun 5, 2017. 

“Ravidasvir plus Sofosbuvir has the potential to provide an additional affordable, simple, and efficacious public health tool for large-scale implementation to eliminate hepatitis C as a cause of morbidity and mortality,” said the report.

To improve access, the health ministry carried out a nationwide decentralisation of hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment to community clinics, which made it accessible even for patients in rural areas.

The ministry worked with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics to introduce an antibody rapid diagnostic test kit and over 10,000 patients had been treated since March 2018, he said.

The ministry and the Malaysian AIDS Council would embark on a study on hepatitis C self-testing after the WHO launched the first hepatitis C self-testing guidelines on Jul 15//CNA

President Joko Widodo. (ANTARA/BPMI Setpres/pri) - 

President Joko Widodo has congratulated Indonesian weightlifter Windy Cantika Aisah for winning the first medal for the Red White team at the Tokyo Olympics.

“From homeland, I would like to congratulate (Windy Cantika Aisah),” Widodo posted on his Instagram handle @jokowi on Saturday.

Aisah, who competed in the 49-kg class, bagged the bronze medal after recording a total lift of 194 kg, with 84 kg in snatch and 110 kg in clean and jerk, according to the official Olympics record.

“Good news comes from Tokyo. Today, Indonesian women’s weightlifter, Windy Cantika Aisah, presented the first medal at Tokyo Olympics by grabbing bronze medal in 49 kg class,” Widodo wrote in his post.

Aisah was the first from the Red White team to win a medal while competing at the Tokyo International Forum.

Chinese lifter Hou Zhihui took the gold medal with a total lift of 210 kg (94 kg in snatch and 116 kg in clean and jerk ).

Meanwhile, Indian lifter Chanu Mirabai secured the silver medal after recording a total lift of 202 kg, with 87 kg in snatch and 115 kg in clean and jerk.

In her debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Aisah failed in her first attempt lifting 84 kg in snatch. She was able to lift 84 kg of barbel in her second attempt.

Unfortunately, she failed again when trying to add the lift to 87 kg in the third attempt. But, she managed to lift clean and jerk in three chances. 

The 19-year-old athlete easily lifted 103 kg, 108 kg, and 110 kg to secure a bronze medal for Indonesia//ANT

Head of Jakarta's Indonesian Pediatrician Assoication (IDAI) Rini Sekartini during an online seminar titled "Optimizing Children's Growth Early", Saturday (July 24, 2021). (ANTARA/Livia Kristianti/FR) - 

Parents should not allow their children to access electronic gadgets until they are two years of age, so they do not experience speech delay, Jakarta's Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) Head Rini Sekartini stated.

Sekartini explained that early exposure to gadgets, especially without parental supervision, may hinder the child’s speech development.

"Children (especially toddlers) should not be left alone with a gadget. You can say that gadget is an enemy since it was found that on average, children exposed to gadgets tended to experience speech delays. Hence, I advise parents to not give their children a gadget until they are two years of age," Head of Jakarta's IDAI stated during an online seminar titled "Optimizing Children's Growth Early" on Saturday.

Sekartini noted that from birth up to two years of age is a period of golden age, deemed an optimal time for child development.

According to Mother and Children's Health (KIA) Book published by the Ministry of Health, one of the indicators of successful child development is clear speech by the time they are two years of age.

However, Sekartini pointed to times when busy parents allow their children to use gadgets to silence them, but this could hinder their growth and be causal to speech delay.

Moreover, Sekartini suggested parents to monitor the development of their children by using the guidelines in the KIA Book.

If parents found that their children did not fulfill several criteria of successful growth listed in the KIA Book, then they should immediately consult with a pediatrician for further intervention//ANT

West Kalimantan Governor Sutarmidji. (Antara/Rendra Oxtora) - 

West Kalimantan Governor Sutarmidji has said that his province has received medical oxygen from Malaysia and is expecting supplies to arrive from India soon to help meet soaring demand for oxygen amid a COVID-19 spike.

"Tomorrow, West Kalimantan will again get supplies from India so that West Kalimantan's oxygen stock will be safe for the next eight days. One ISO tank of oxygen from India is to be channeled via the Indonesian Ministry of Health," he informed while reviewing the distribution of oxygen at PT Spectro, an oxygen distributor company, in Kubu Raya District on Saturday.

He said PT Spectroordered oxygen from Malaysia through his assistance and with the help of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) -- West Kalimantan chapter, the Indonesian Consulate in Sarawak, the Kingdom of Sarawak, and a trade association in Malaysia.

"We don't buy (medical oxygen directly) from India, but it's (being sourced) from the Ministry of Health. We are only charged with the distribution cost, so we will give this free to the community because it should not be sold," Sutarmidji said.

West Kalimantan has also received cylinders from donors that will be distributed free of charge to the community, he added.

"We will continue to make sure the stock for 20 hours per day. Hence, we have managed to obtain oxygen from Malaysia. The local government had looked everywhere and used our good relationship, so we did not bother the central government," he remarked.

Director ofPT Sparco Kubu Raya, Handoko Yonestulin, said his company and the Malaysian company enjoy good relations, hence the procurement of oxygen was smooth and the delivery could be directly handled by the distributor in West Kalimantan.

He said his company is continuing to monitor the supply of oxygen from Kuching, Malaysia to West Kalimantan. A total of 1,600 cylinders have arrived so far and have been distributed directly to the public, he added.

"As many as 1,600 cylinders have arrived and 1,600 more will arrive this afternoon. Residents who want to fill oxygen must prepare their ID cards with a PCR letter. (We will provide) 350 cylinders a day and they will be free, but only for those carrying out self-isolation," he informed//ANT