Palembang, The Indonesia Post — Governor of South Sumatra, H. Herman Deru, welcomed a national evaluation team assessing the province’s progress toward malaria elimination. The meeting took place at the VIP Room of Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport, Palembang, on Thursday (October 16, 2025).
The national evaluation team was led by Dr. Ferdinand J. Laihad, MPHM, Chair of the National Malaria Elimination Assessment Team, accompanied by malaria expert Dr. William Anderson Hawley, Ph.D.
Governor Deru expressed his appreciation for the team’s visit, emphasizing that it serves as an important reminder for the public to remain vigilant against malaria transmission.
“The presence of this team reminds us that malaria transmission, though rarely heard of nowadays, still requires our attention. Our main task now is to raise awareness and educate the public, particularly in efforts to eradicate mosquitoes as the main vectors,” said Deru.
Dr. Ferdinand praised South Sumatra’s significant achievements, noting that the province—once known as a highly endemic malaria area—has made remarkable progress.
“In the past three years, South Sumatra has shown significant advancement, with no recorded local malaria transmission for three consecutive years,” he explained.
He added that current malaria cases in the province are mostly imported, originating from individuals arriving from endemic regions such as Papua or Bokan Ilir, after which local mosquitoes may transmit the parasite to healthy individuals.
Dr. Ferdinand recommended that the provincial government continue strengthening surveillance among arrivals from endemic regions and intensify community education campaigns to sustain malaria-free status.
Also present at the meeting were several heads of provincial departments (OPD). (mhn/ril)
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