RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Health Ministry has reported a sharp decline in measles cases as of the 11th week of 2026, marking a significant recovery from the surge seen at the beginning of the year. Head of the Bureau of Communication and Public Information at the Ministry, Aji Muhawarman, noted that both suspected and confirmed cases have consistently plummeted since peaking in the first week of January.

"Following the third week, the trend continued to decline through week 11, which saw 177 suspected cases and 121 confirmed measles cases. This represents a decrease of approximately 94 to 95 percent from the peak in week one," Aji Muhawarman said during a press briefing in Jakarta on Friday, March 27, 2026.

At the onset of 2026, the first week alone recorded 2,740 suspected cases and 2,268 confirmed national measles cases. By the ninth week, the cumulative total had risen to 10,826 suspected cases and 8,716 confirmed cases across Indonesia.

Acting Director General of Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry, Andi Saguni, explained that the downward trend began to emerge following the intensification of immunization programs and public health education.

"This decline is the result of massive immunization efforts alongside community education regarding clean and healthy living behaviors," remarked Andi.

Despite the overall improvement, the Ministry recorded 45 measles outbreaks spread across 29 regencies and cities in 11 provinces. Andi noted that cases remain present in several regions, including West Java, Central Java, and East Java.

"Most affected areas are showing a decrease in cases, with the exception of several regions in West Nusa Tenggara where rates remain high," he added.

The Ministry also identified several hotspots with the highest case counts, including South Tangerang, Bima, Depok, Central Jakarta, Palembang, and Padang. To address this, the Ministry is aggressively implementing Outbreak Response Immunization (ORI) and catch-up immunizations to curb further transmission in affected districts.

"A total of 51 Health Quarantine Technical Support Units (UPT) are supporting the administration of the MR (Measles-Rubella) vaccine in coordination with local health offices. This step is taken to accelerate immunization coverage and suppress the spread of measles in currently impacted regions," concluded Andi. (Annaila Azzahra/Bambang MBKA)