Health Development in West Papua Needs Acceleration and Big Change

Illustration Hospital Image by djedj from Pixabay

Law No. 36/2009 on Health emphasises that health is a human right and one of the elements of welfare that must be realised under the ideals of the Indonesian nation.

Therefore, every effort to improve public health is carried out based on non-discriminatory, participatory, and sustainable principles in the context of forming human resources.

Based on the Act, health development aims to increase awareness, willingness, and ability to live a healthy life for everyone to realise a high level of public health.

Health development is based on humanity, balance, benefit, protection, respect for rights and obligations, justice, gender and non-discriminatory and religious norms.

Public Health Improvement Programs

Image by sungmin cho from Pixabay

To implement the mandate of the law, the provincial government of West Papua continues to improve the health status of the community through various public health improvement programs.

The West Papuan government admits that it is not easy to improve the health status in its territory according to the mandate of the law. There are many problems and challenges to face.

To develop the health sector in West Papua, accelerate development and make significant breakthroughs in this field. So, people can feel the results of heath development directly.

The focus of health development in this province is to improve the health status of the community by reducing maternal and child mortality rates and the prevalence of dominant diseases.

The Papuan government can arrange a public health acceleration program to realise the accelerated development program in the health sector, the Papuan government can arrange a public health acceleration program.

The target is to provide operational health assistance to the management of Community Health Centers.

The West Papuan government can also provide financial support for minimal facilities and infrastructure at the Health Center. Meanwhile, the target for service improvement in hospitals is to increase the accreditation of hospitals in West Papua.

The key to successful development in the health sector in this region is commitment and consistency. The government must have a high responsibility and consistently encourage improving health services in West Papua.

Currently, not many health centres and hospitals are accredited. This is also a challenge for health development in West Papua in the future.

In this case, the government's participation is needed to realise accredited health centres and hospitals and meet health service standards.

Getting Better

The Ministry of Health reports that the achievements of health development in West Papua have improved. However, the province is still facing long-standing problems in the health sector.

Since 2002 – 2020 the human development index (HDI) has increased for almost the last two decades, compared to other provinces on a par with West Papua and the national average. In West Papua, the HDI in 2020 has reached 65.1.

Life expectancy, which is an indicator of health, also continues to improve. In West Papua, the life expectancy reached 66.1 in 2020 from 65.2 in 2002.

Likewise, maternal and infant mortality rates have improved significantly in West Papua Province based on the targets of the National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN).

Although general health development in West Papua has shown success, some classic problems are challenging. One of the formidable challenges facing the government of West Papua is the spread of infectious diseases.

Infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis or malaria, are still difficult to control in this region. The government has used all existing health facilities, such as health centres and hospitals. However, the government's efforts have not yielded maximum results.

Efforts to control infectious diseases continue to be carried out by involving various relevant stakeholders. The improvement of services and facilities is also continuously improved, including increasing the number of medical personnel (doctors and health nurses).

Currently, West Papua already has adequate health centres to overcome infectious diseases. The puskesmas (health centre) ratio in West Papua is already above the national average.

Of course, it can be a capital for West Papua to realise physically and mentally healthy. Condition of society Health development in this province can be said to be successful if the whole community can enjoy it.