VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta. Social Minister Tri Rismaharini thanked health workers and volunteers endeavoring to tackle COVID-19 for a year during the one-year commemoration of the Emergency Hospital for Handling COVID-19 (RSDC) Wisma Atlet Kemayoran, here, Tuesday night.

"We express our gratitude to all humanitarian fighters, to the health workers and volunteers, who have been fighting for a year," Rismaharini was quoted as saying during the Social Ministry’s press release on Wednesday.

The former Surabaya mayor admitted to managing the Emergency Hospital not being an easy task.

"We believe it is not easy to manage Wisma Atlet. However, through a spirit of mutual cooperation and togetherness, we can unite various backgrounds into one noble goal, which is for the sake of humanity," she emphasized.

Attendees at the one-year commemoration of the RSDC Wisma Atlet comprised 53 representatives of health workers and volunteers, who had worked for a year at the facility for handling the coronavirus infection.

Slogans, such as "Never Go Home Before Corona Disappears," were echoed during the event that was also attended by Head of the National Disaster Management Agency Lt Gen. Doni Monardo and Head of the Army Health Center as the coordinator of the RSDC Wisma Atlet Mayor General Army Dr Tubagus Ratmono. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI), Prof. Tjandra Yoga Aditama stated at the World Tuberculosis Day commemoration that COVID-19 majorly impacted the development of tuberculosis control globally, including Indonesia.

Aditama pointed to the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tuberculosis control efforts. Modeling by the Stop TB Partnership and Imperial College, Avenir Health, Johns Hopkins University and USAID estimates that disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could make indicators of progress in the world's tuberculosis program regress to the situation in 2013-2016.

"Hence, the delay is five to eight years," Aditama noted in a written statement on Wednesday.

Another publication states that global tuberculosis detection decreases by an average of 25 percent in three months, so the number of deaths from tuberculosis will increase by 190 thousand. It translates to an additional 100 thousand deaths in the Southeast Asian region.

"If in 2018, there were 1.49 million deaths due to tuberculosis in the world, then due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, there could be 1.85 million deaths in the world," Aditama remarked.

In fact, tuberculosis control in Southeast Asia, including in Indonesia, initially went quite well. One of the indicators is shown by the number of tuberculosis case notifications, which rose, from 2.6 million in 2015 to 3.36 million in 2018, or an increase of around 20 percent.

Meanwhile, the success of treatment for drug-sensitive tuberculosis also increased, from 79 percent in the 2014 cohort to 83 percent in the 2017 cohort.

Moreover, on the basis of the number of deaths, data indicates a decrease, from 758 thousand in 2015 to 658 thousand in 2018.

Such progress is expected to continue into 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has limited the progress.

Aditama highlighted the two crucial steps of passive case finding at health facilities and active identification by health workers.

Such steps are in line with the seven activities that can be pursued along with the COVID-19 control efforts that comprise testing, contact tracing, infection prevention control, surveillance, strengthening health services, risk communication, and community involvement.

Aditama noted that it was not too late to apply the strategy to prioritize case detection and handling efforts, so that the death rate from tuberculosis does not increase. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan received a letter of goodwill from his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Tuesday, a Pakistani senior Cabinet minister said, as relations thaw between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars and have shared a fractious relationship since the two gained independence in 1947, and in 2019 tensions rose dramatically as they sent combat planes into each other’s territory.

Asad Umar, a senior Pakistani minister, in a post on Twitter welcomed Modi’s letter, calling it a “message of goodwill”. He added that Khan had already expressed a desire for a peaceful South Asia.

The message from Modi arrived on Pakistan’s Republic Day, March 23, and follows a series of moves and statements signalling rapprochement. The two sides are holding talks on water sharing, with Pakistani officials in Delhi.

Last week, the chief of Pakistan’s influential army called on the two sides to bury the past.

Last month, the militaries of both countries released a rare joint statement announcing a ceasefire along a disputed border in Kashmir, having exchanged fire hundreds of times in recent months.

Neither country’s foreign office immediately responded to requests for comment on the letter.

Indian publication Times of India reported Modi’s letter citing the Press Trust of India news agency.

Quoting from the letter, Pakistani newspaper Dawn said Modi had written that, “India desires cordial relations with the people of Pakistan” and “for this, an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility, is imperative.”

Reuters was unable to independently verify the contents of the letter. (Reuters)

Jakarta. North Korea fired two short-range missiles over the weekend, said two U.S. officials on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence.

The launches, which were first reported by the Washington Post, came after North Korea declined to engage with repeated behind-the-scenes U.S. diplomatic overtures by President Joe Biden’s administration.

The Pentagon declined comment. (Reuters)