Malaria Cross Border: Improving Malaria Surveillance at Cross Border of Indonesia and Timor Leste: An Operational Research

Indonesia and Timor Leste Unite to Combat Malaria
In recent times, the term “import” has evolved beyond its conventional use for daily commodities to encompass diseases, notably malaria. This prompts the question of whether such a phenomenon is plausible and how it could occur. In reality, this occurrence is frequent in border areas between nations close to malaria elimination and those still grappling with the disease. A tangible example of this chal-lenge is evident in the border region between Belu Regen-cy (Republic of Indonesia) and Bobonaro District (Demo-cratic Republic of Timor Leste). The close correlation with similar community characteristics renders residents of both countries not always cognizant of cross-border malaria issues, ultimately resulting in bilateral impacts. Various complex factors, including illegal and untracked popula-tion mobility in border areas overlooked by health authori-ties, socio-cultural elements, cross-border collaboration, remote geographical challenges like mountains, rivers, and sparsely inhabited forests, and restricted access to ade-quate healthcare, collectively present hurdles in addressing malaria in these border zones.

Since 2017, Indonesia and Timor Leste have collaborated on tackling cross-border malaria through a memorandum of understanding (MoU). This collaboration also targets TB and HIV/AIDS, overseen by the Center for Tropical Medicine (PKT) at UGM. The “Improving Malaria Surveillance at Cross Border of Indonesia and Timor Leste” study, led by Prof. Dr. E. Elsa Herdiana Murhandarwati and funded by the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA), has been active since February 2023, focusing on population movements and data sharing issues. A workshop held on October 23-24, 2023, titled “Workshop on Strengthening Migration Surveillance and Preparing Case Notification Flows at the Border of Indonesia and Timor Leste,” brought together policy stakeholders to discuss action points, health promotion materials, and data sharing mechanisms. Key attendees included dr. Hellen Dewi Prameswari, Dr. Odete da Silva Viegas, dr. Imran Pambudi, and Shubhla Singh. The workshop resulted in agreements on migration surveillance and data sharing, laying the groundwork for future cross-border malaria elimination initiatives. Prof. Elsa expressed optimism about the collaboration’s success and its potential application to other borders between Indonesia and Timor Leste.