While the annual malaria parasite incidence is below 1 per 1,000 people, indicating low endemicity, many districts and cities in Sumatra still face a range of issues. These include irregular malaria-related activities, shifting human resources, a shortage of trained microscopists, inadequate case reporting, and limited community involvement in vector control efforts which could pose a threat to the progress of malaria elimination in the region.
Therefore, improving the quality of malaria parasite detection, especially at the regional laboratory level, could be the key factor in supporting malaria infection in Indonesia. In Sumatra, by building the ability to detect malaria at the molecular level in these regional labs, early detection challenges can be overcome more effectively, enabling quicker responses to malaria outbreaks.
To support this effort, EHI partnered with the Public Health Laboratory of Banda Aceh to host a Molecular Malaria Testing Workshop for medical laboratory staff from Tier 3 and Tier 2 regions in Aceh and North Sumatra. This workshop is part of EHI’s support for the Ministry of Health’s policy on tiered public health laboratory management, which aims to improve laboratory capacities at all levels of testing.
During the workshop, laboratory staff were trained in molecular malaria testing techniques, including DNA isolation and the use of both conventional PCR and Real-Time PCR methods. The training equipped local healthcare workers with the knowledge and skills necessary to accurately detect malaria, even in areas with limited resources and infrastructure. With ongoing collaboration between the government, health agencies, and organizations like EHI, Indonesia is steadily moving toward becoming malaria-free.
