February 25, 2009 

Faith-Based Partners Support Routine Immunization in Madura

Bahasa Indonesia

Jakarta, February 25 – U.S. Agency for International Development Mission Director Walter North visited Madura on February 24-25 to discuss with local leaders how USAID and local non-governmental and faith-based leaders have cooperated to increase rates of immunization. Mr. North also visited Surabaya as part of his broader objective to review USAID programs in the region. 

In Madura, Mr. North met with Muslim leaders and local government officials. He also visited with young scouts from Pramuka, Indonesia’s scouting organization, in Sumenep to watch the awarding of immunization merit badges. 

The recent progress on immunization in Madura has come after a wild polio virus outbreak in Indonesia in 2005 hit the conservative Muslim community on the island of Madura especially hard with 53 reported polio cases. Indonesia had not had a reported incident for 10 years until that time.

U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Indonesia Immunization Project began working in Madura in 2007. It has pursued two primary goals: (i) improving reported immunization coverage data quality; and (ii) implementing social mobilization activities to promote routine immunization. 

MCC/IIP partnered with two Muslim faith-based community organizations, Muslimat NU and Aisyiyah, to conduct social mobilization in support of routine immunization.  Some communities had expressed concerns about vaccines being developed using pork derivatives.  Muslim elders confirmed that vaccines were “halal”, using Friday prayers and loudspeakers at the Mosques to encourage families to immunize their children.

This year the four districts in Madura have met their routine immunization targets for DPT3, measles and polio.  While reported routine immunization coverage rates are lower than before, the data is more reliable.  There has been a 50 percent reduction in reported cases of diphtheria or measles in the past two years, and no reported polio cases. 

In addition to the immunization project, USAID is also partnering with the Government of Indonesia on programs in Madura and Surabaya provinces in education, health, economic growth, anti-corruption and de-centralization.

For more information, please contact Roman Woronowycz at USAID’s Indonesia Development Outreach and Communications at rworonowycz@usaid.gov, or at 62-21-3435-9424.  For more information about the U.S. Embassy Jakarta, please visit our website at http://jakarta.usembassy.gov.

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