Disease control must adapt to disaster type: BRIN

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2 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) researcher Ristiyanto emphasized that patterns of disease intervention and control following disasters cannot be applied uniformly, as each type of natural disaster carries highly specific risk characteristics.

“So intervention for a disaster is not one package for all. We have to look at the main risk factors and what the disaster event itself is,” he said during an online discussion on post-disaster infectious diseases held here on Thursday.

Ristiyanto gave a concrete example of how handling volcanic eruptions differs greatly from handling hydrometeorological disasters.

“In West Java, East Java, and Central Java, a strict early warning system for plague is needed. Because if an outbreak occurs, it is very dangerous for the public,” he continued.

To curb the spread of plague after a volcanic eruption, he said the main intervention must focus fully on pest control and managing rat populations, which often migrate from their damaged habitats.

“During the Merapi eruption and the recent Bromo eruption, intensive rat surveillance and control were carried out, even every two weeks at the time,” he said, recounting his field experience.

In contrast, for flood disasters, the main response must be directed at basic sanitation, spreading larvicide to kill mosquito larvae in standing water, and eliminating mosquito breeding sites, such as in densely populated evacuation areas.

Meanwhile, for massive disasters such as tsunamis, Ristiyanto stated that indoor residual spraying (IRS) with insecticides must be carried out thoroughly in homes, not limited only to the affected zone.

Given the differing approaches required for each type of disaster, he expressed hope that policymakers can quickly conduct fast and accurate studies of transmission dynamics, without waiting for a visible surge in cases.

“Detect risk earlier, carry out faster and more targeted interventions to prevent an increase in vector-borne diseases and disease reservoirs after disasters,” Ristiyanto noted.