RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Takeda, a global pharmacy corporation, in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), officially launched the United Against Dengue alliance in Indonesia on Friday, March 13, 2026, to strengthen national defence against Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DBD) through cross-sector collaboration.

The launch follows the regional establishment of the alliance in June 2025, with Indonesia becoming the first country to activate the initiative at a community-based national level. The alliance emphasizes the necessity of public-private partnerships to enhance community resilience and meet global health targets.

Andreas Gutknecht, representing Takeda, reaffirmed the company's dedication to the cause during the launch. “Takeda is committed to fighting DBD. Through public and private partnerships, we support the target of zero dengue deaths by 2030,” he said.

The urgency of the program is underscored by alarming statistics. In 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded 14.6 million cases and 12,000 deaths globally. Domestically, BPJS Kesehatan reported that over 1.05 million Indonesians were hospitalized for dengue in 2024 alone, with the economic burden of the disease estimated at nearly IDR 3 trillion (USD 177 million).

The United Against Dengue alliance focuses on three pillars: prevention, preparedness, and community-based intervention. By connecting governments, humanitarian organizations, and the private sector, the program aims to deploy evidence-based strategies and innovations to curb transmission.

Head of Health at PMI,Fachmi Idris highlighted the vital role of multiparty cooperation in tackling infectious diseases. He noted that such collaboration not only strengthens community resilience but also expands the reach of health programs, aligning perfectly with the Ministry of Health's national dengue control strategy.

The launch was attended by high-level representatives from the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Environment, BMKG, WHO Indonesia, and the KOBAR alliance.

Ultimately, United Against Dengue serves as a regional Asia-Pacific model to prevent and manage dengue, supporting the broader goals of WHO and ASEAN to eliminate preventable dengue deaths by 2030. ***