Astra Supports Dengue Research in Indonesia

Astra Supports Dengue Research in Indonesia

JAKARTA: In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of Dengue (DBD) epidemic still looms, with the number of cases this year greater than previous years.

According to official data released by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, there are approximately 70,000 cases of dengue fever in Indonesia during the first semester of 2020 – higher than the number of cases of the same period in the last three years.

Historically, the number of dengue cases reaches its peak in March. However, this year, new cases are still occurring even in June, reaching 100–500 cases per day.

To increase public awareness of the dengue epidemic, Astra hosted a webinar titled Tackling Dengue Fever in the Era of COVID-19, in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology (LBM) today (29/9).

The collaboration brought together leading scientists in the field of dengue research to the webinar, providing insights on dengue for people in Indonesia and around the world.

"This collaboration is one of Astra’s efforts to improve public health in Indonesia. This is in line with Astra's sustainable social contribution program for a Healthy Indonesia,” said Astra's Chief of Corporate Affairs Riza Deliansyah.

LSHTM’s Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases Martin Hibberd, LSHTM’s Joseph Biggs, Eijkman LBM’s Professorial Research Fellow Prof. David H. Muljono, and Eijkman LBM’s Senior Researcher Dr. Tedjo Sasmono were among the expert panel in the webinar.

The panel speakers explained the similarity of symptoms between dengue and COVID-19 from a clinical and pathophysiological aspect. The webinar also discussed the opportunities that may arise from the pandemic and the solutions to tackle the dengue epidemic, the advances at a global level necessary to address the gaps in dengue fever diagnostics and COVID-19, and the possible cross-reactivity of antibody diagnosis.

Mosquito Larvae Observer in KBA

Efforts to control the spread of dengue fever also take place in Astra’s Kampung Berseri Astra (KBA) and Desa Sejahtera Astra (DSA) that are located across 34 Provinces in Indonesia. To that end, Astra, LHSTM, and Eijkman LBM have agreed to a 5-year cooperation, which commenced in 2018.

In each of the 112 KBAs, there is one community larvae observer (Jumantik) who is part of the dengue control program of Posyandu, a community-led maternal and child healthcare facility. Every week, a Posyandu volunteer visits the residents’ houses to check any water-filled containers that mosquitos may be attracted to and use as breeding grounds, such as bathroom basins, clean water containers, and refrigerator drain pans.

To further dengue control endeavors, Eijkman LBM has established a Dengue Research Unit. Astra hopes the unit will contribute to dengue diagnosis in Indonesia, especially with technology development in this digital era that should enable numerous new diagnosis technologies to support disease control and epidemic handling in Indonesia.

Astra's collaboration with LSHTM and Eijkman LBM to improve public health in Indonesia is in line with Astra's mission to prosper with the nation.

For further information, please contact:
Boy Kelana Soebroto
Head of Corporate Communications
PT Astra International Tbk
Ph.021-508-43-888

About Astra:

PT Astra International Tbk was established in 1957 in Jakarta as a general trading company under the name Astra International Inc. In 1990, for the purpose of the company’s initial public offering (IPO), the name of the company changed to PT Astra International Tbk, followed by listing its shares on the Indonesia Stock Exchange under the ticker code ASII.

Astra has developed its business by implementing a business model based on synergies and diversification within seven business segments, consisting of: 1) Automotive, 2) Financial Services, 3) Heavy Equipment, Mining, Construction & Energy, 4) Agribusiness, 5) Infrastructure and Logistics, 6) Information Technology and 7) Property.

Astra conducts business operations in all parts of Indonesia under the management of more than 235 subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates companies, and was supported by more than 194.359 employees, as of June 2020.

As one of the largest national business groups today, Astra has built a strong reputation through offering a range of quality products and services, taking into account the implementation of good corporate governance and environmental governance. Astra always aspires to be the pride of the nation that participates in efforts to improve the welfare of the Indonesian people.

Therefore, Astra's business activities strive to apply a balanced mix in the commercial aspects of business and non-business contributions through 9 foundations and a variety of sustainable social responsibility programmes Astra Untuk Indonesia Sehat, Astra Untuk Indonesia Cerdas, Astra Untuk Indonesia Hijau and Astra Untuk Indonesia Kreatif.

Astra initiated the Semangat Astra Terpadu Untuk (SATU) Indonesia Awards programme, which has entered a decade this year, and has given recognition awards to 305 young Indonesians, consisting of 59 national level recipients and 246 provincial level recipients in the fields of Health, Education, the Environment, Entrepreneurship and Technology, which are integrated with Astra’s wide range of community activities through 87 Kampung Berseri Astra and 645 Desa Sejahtera Astra initiated in 34 provinces throughout Indonesia.

For further information, please visit www.astra.co.id & www.satu-indonesia.com, and follow Astra through Instagram (@SATU_Indonesia), Youtube (SATU Indonesia), Facebook (Semangat Astra Terpadu) and Twitter (@SATU_Indonesia).