Tanjungpinang City Tackles 518 Malaria Cases by Targeting Mosquito Breeding Site

RRI.CO.ID, Tanjungpinang - To curb a surge of 518 malaria cases through June 2026, a joint task force in Tanjungpinang City, Riau Islands Province, has shifted its focus to attacking the problem at its ecological roots. Response efforts now concentrate on environmental interventions at 58 small swamp sites and flooded pits from former mining that have been identified as primary breeding grounds for Anopheles mosquitoes.

“Response is not only passive, but also active through case finding in the field,” said Head of Tanjungpinang’s Health, Population Control and Family Planning Agency, Rustam, on Wednesday, 25 June 2026.

He said officers conduct routine fever surveillance, active case detection, and community education encouraging residents to seek treatment promptly if they develop fever and to complete their medication course.

Rustam explained that malaria treatment requires a relatively long course, about 14 days, so patient adherence is key to successful recovery. Some malaria patients are also being treated in hospitals.

Beyond case management, prevention efforts include improving environmental sanitation and intervening in areas likely to serve as mosquito habitats, especially swampy zones. “We also conduct two cycles of fogging to kill adult mosquitoes,” he said, as quoted by Antara.

Monitoring shows several areas, such as Sebauk Darat and Bebek Hamlet, are already experiencing declines in cases, while Sebauk Laut and Senggarang Besar remain hotspots with relatively high case numbers.

Rustam warned that areas showing improvement can still see new cases if treatment is not completed and environmental cleanliness is neglected. “At present, about 58 small swamp sites are the focus of control measures as mosquito breeding locations,” he said.

Senggarang Village Head, Edi Susanto, said there are six malaria clusters in the area with varying exposure levels at each site. He reported that in Tanjung Sebauk Darat, of 122 households, 109 were recorded as infected; Bebek Hamlet recorded 15 households; Senggarang Darat 17 households; Senggarang Besar 16 households; and Tanjung Sebauk Laut 88 households.

“Some areas such as Tanjung Sebauk Darat, Bebek Hamlet, and Senggarang Darat are becoming safer, but Senggarang Besar and Tanjung Sebauk Laut have not yet flattened,” he said.

He added that the administration, together with the health agency, firefighters, volunteers, and neighborhood units (RT/RW), has carried out environmental interventions. These actions include the application of larvicidal agents at several former-mining water pockets. ***