Month: November 2021

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Vaccination rate in Central Java reaches 60%

The Health Office has recorded the vaccination rate in Central Java region at 60 percent.

“It’s more than 60 percent. This is already very good, it could be more than 60 percent,” head of the Central Java Health Office, Yulianto Prabowo, informed in Semarang on Monday.

He said the vaccination rate in Central Java was positive news, though some sub-districts have recorded vaccination rates of below 40 percent, reflecting a disparity in vaccination coverage. He noted that more efforts need to be made in the sub-districts with low vaccination rates.

Districts with vaccination rates below 40-50 percent are Banjarnegara, Tegal, Purbalingga, Batang, Jepara, Wonosobo, Pemalang, Brebes, Grobogan, Pekalongan, Magelang, Kebumen, and Pati, he said.

The challenges to vaccinations in these sub-districts include lack of interest or cooperation from the public, a limited number of vaccinators, and a small number of health facilities offering vaccinations, he noted.

He also said that the regional government needs to commit more to address the issue. There are some groups with low interest or knowledge of vaccines, given the limited access, such as the elderly, he added.

“The elderly are indeed a bit slow (in terms of vaccination). Then there are also people with disabilities, pregnant women, people with comorbidities. The speed of these (groups’ vaccination rate) is indeed unlike the others,” he said.

Thus, a pick-up strategy must be implemented simultaneously from the level of districts or cities, including public health facilities, to the sub-districts, he added.

He said that the vaccination service base should be at a smaller level of communities, for example, at the levels of RWs, RTs, and villages. (INE)

Source: Antara News

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Expert: 30 primate species may become extinct by 2050

According to a study, around 30 primate species in Indonesia may become extinct by 2050 due to the impact of climate change, Mirza D Kusrini, an expert from Bogor Agricultural Institute, has said.

“Research shows us that around 30 primate species in Indonesia are likely to become extinct in 2050. This is really not good,” Kusrini said here on Monday.

According to the study, with increasing temperatures, the population or distribution of primates on several islands in Indonesia will decrease, especially in Java and Sulawesi, he said.

The study from Bogor Agricultural Institute was titled ‘Predicting Hotspots and Prioritizing Protected Areas for Endangered Primate Species in Indonesia under Changing Climate’, he informed. It was conducted by Aryo Adhi Condro, Lilik Budi Prasetyo, Siti Badriyah Rushayati, I Putu Santikayasa, and Entang Iskandar, he said.

Kusrini explained that the research developed a species distribution model with scenarios that involve aspects of climate change.

As per the research, 75 percent of species from the Tarsidae family group will become extinct by 2050 and 50 percent of the gibbon family group (Hylobatidae) would be gone, he informed.

The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) and the Javan slow loris (Nycticebus javanicus) are also expected to go extinct by 2050, he said.

Furthermore, climate changes and changes in landscapes are threatening Indonesian fauna with extinction, Kusrini said.

To counter this, the study recommends and stresses the importance of primate conservation planning and strategies for maintaining primate populations in the country.

Kusrini said that climate change also impacts other wildlife.

He also highlighted the Komodo dragons in Indonesia, which are on the endangered list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

One climate change scenario in a 2020 study had indicated the possibility of the Komodo dragon population declining by 2050, he said.

In addition to national parks, Komodo dragons are also scattered on the mainland of Flores so they must be protected because they are highly vulnerable to changes and loss of habitats, he explained.

Komodo dragons are sensitive to changes in land use that have happened in unprotected habitats in Flores over the past few decades, he said.

Kusrini said that habitat loss and continued land conversion could worsen the estimated population reduction and distribution of Komodo dragons in Flores.

Should the temperature rise, there would be drier areas, and that would impact the amphibian and reptile populations, he pointed out.

“We have to be concerned about what will happen to our wildlife in the case of global warming,” he said.

To conserve species, it is necessary to mitigate the impact of climate change and stop global warming, he affirmed.

“Otherwise, we will not only lose our livelihood but also our species,” he added.

The IUCN is a membership union comprising government and civil society organizations, he informed.

The international agency for nature conservation draws on the experience, resources, and reach of its more than 1,400 member organizations and inputs from more than 18 thousand experts, he said.

Source: Antara News

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Preparation for Peparnas 98% complete: Minister Amali

Minister of Youth and Sports, Zainudin Amali, confirmed that preparations for the upcoming National Paralympic Week (Peparnas) XVI have reached 98 percent completion.

“The Peparnas organizing committee has confirmed the preparation stage has reached 98 percent completion, and the rest two percent is the ongoing coordination for the games, particularly for the opening and closing ceremonies,” he informed during a discussion with Merdeka Barat Forum 9 on Monday.

Amali reminded the organizing committee and Indonesia’s National Paralympic Committee (NPC) to learn from the recently-concluded PON XX National Games to prevent errors made during the PON from recurring at the Peparnas.

“PON National Games has recorded organizing, sports achievement, and economic successes. We currently wait for their administration completion while the COVID-19 pandemic situation subsides with casualties decreasing,” the minister said.

He determined that the Peparnas would be equally successful as the PON Games, as the preparation measures and facilities are similar.

The differences between the PON Games and the Peparnas are only in terms of the sports featured at the events — 12 sports will be competed in Peparnas compared with 37 at the PON Games — and the relatively small number of athletes (3,500) and officials at the Peparnas, he said. The PON Games involved around 10-12 thousand athletes and officials, he noted.

“I found a discrepancy between my record and the actual situation as I recorded almost 20 thousand people had visited Papua for the games,” he said.

The Peparnas would be hosted only in Jayapura city and district, and PON XX facilities at Merauke and Mimika districts would not be used for the event, the minister added.

Amali urged Indonesia’s media to give equal attention to Peparnas as was accorded to the PON XX Games, as Indonesian paralympic athletes have also recorded stellar achievements.

In the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Indonesia’s paralympic athletes placed 43rd, way above the targeted 60th place and a significant improvement from the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, when Indonesia only placed 76th, he pointed out.

“Our Paralympic athletes have recorded an equally stellar achievement as Olympic athletes, hence we must not discriminate between them. President Joko Widodo has also praised our paralympic athletes and emphasized that they are not different from other athletes,” the minister said.

Minister Amali also assured that regional leaders in Papua province are ready to support Peparnas.

Source: Antara News

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Government guarantees welfare of athletes with disabilities

Minister of Youth and Sports, Zainudin Amali, has emphasized that the government will guarantee the welfare of athletes with disabilities and will not differentiate between the welfare of athletes with and without disabilities.

According to Amali, the welfare of athletes with disabilities has been included in the Grand Design of National Sports (DBON), which is based on Presidential Regulation Number 86 of 2021.

“Even the rewards are extraordinary. After achieving achievements in national multi-events, they will receive the same rewards (like non-disabled athletes). For example, the President gave appreciation and rewards in the form of bonuses to the Olympic athletes, Rp5.5 billion to gold medalists. Then for Paralympics, the rewards given were also the same,” the minister said during a discussion on the Merdeka Barat Forum (FMB) 9 on Monday.

Rewards, according to Amali, will also be given to those who are still active as athletes and those who have retired. Currently, the basis for the rewards is being formulated for those who are retired, he added.

For those who are still active and have achievements and are interested in a career as state civil apparatus (ASN), he said the government had opened opportunities for them.

“We are currently discussing the revision of the law on the national sports system. One of the important points there is the welfare of the athletes and their well-being after they retire,” Minister Amali said.

The same thing was also conveyed by Presidential Special Staff Angkie Yudistia, who emphasized that the government is committed to paying attention to the well-being of athletes with disabilities.

“Bonuses have been prepared. Therefore, for people with disabilities who want to be an athlete, their welfare is always guaranteed by the government, both central and local governments,” Yudstia said.

Source: Antara News

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Govt to build training center for athletes with disabilities

The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, is committed to building a training center for athletes with disabilities, Presidential Special Staff Angkie Yudistia has said.

The training center or training camp will also be equipped with sports science specially provided for athletes with disabilities, she said during an online dialogue on the 16th National Para Games (Peparnas), which was accessed from here on Monday.

“Other than that, sports centers will also be built in 10 provinces in Indonesia,” she added.

Ahead of the 16th Peparnas, which will be held in Jayapura city and Jayapura district, Yudistia said the government is emphasizing the importance of regeneration and coaching for athletes with disabilities to implement Law Number 8 of 2026 concerning Persons with Disabilities, along with its nine derivative regulations.

Aside from that, as part of a derivative regulation of the law in the form of Government Regulation Number 70 of 2019 concerning Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of the Respect, Protection, and Fulfillment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, one of the efforts made by the government has been to open up opportunities for persons with disabilities in sports, she added.

According to her, Peparnas can be a platform for people with disabilities to showcase their abilities and achievements, carry the name of their region, as well as end the stigma against people with disabilities.

In addition, she said Peparnas is a big sports event that should be supported like the National Sports Week (PON) held earlier.

“I’m sure the public can welcome it (Peparnas) well. This proves that people with disabilities are capable of being equal with their achievements,” she remarked.

The Peparnas XVI Games will be hosted from November 2-15, 2021.

A total of 1,935 athletes from various provinces in Indonesia are expected to participate in 12 sports competitions at the event: weightlifting, athletics, boccia, badminton, chess, judo, shooting, archery, swimming, cerebral palsy football, wheelchair tennis, and table tennis.

Source: Antara News

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S Sulawesi Governor and Australian Ambassador discuss collaboration

South Sulawesi Acting Governor Andi Sudirman Sulaiman affirmed that the meeting with Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Penny Williams focused on intensifying bilateral collaboration between the two parties.

During the meeting on October 31, Sulaiman introduced various areas of potential of the province that has 24 districts and cities with 3,047 villages.

These areas of potential cover livestock, agriculture, tourism, fisheries and marine affairs, education, and human resources. He also introduced the investment support for the developmet of infrastructure, such as the Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport and Makassar New Port.

“The meeting aimed at strengthening the collaboration established so far. It also opens up other collaboration opportunities,” Sulaiman noted in his statement, Monday.

During the meeting, both parties discussed their long-term commitment to health sustainability and economic recovery and stability in South Sulawesi.

Regarding support for COVID-19-related handling and recovery, both parties will come up with a world-class vocational education system and expertise with the smart city technology. Australia will provide skills-based training and digital solutions to increase productivity.

The Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) and the catalytic economic cooperation program will pave the way for further economic partnerships between Australia and South Sulawesi.

Furthermore, educational leaders from South Sulawesi will also meet with the Australian ambassador during her visit. This meeting will reaffirm Australia’s commitment to innovative research and evidence-based policy-making in South Sulawesi.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Penny Williams admitted to being glad to visit South Sulawesi.

This visit marks her first trip to South Sulawesi to meet with regional heads, business leaders, education leaders, and the public.

“I am very happy to undertake my first official visit to South Sulawesi today. This is also to learn about the close relationship between South Sulawesi and Australia,” Williams stated.

According to Williams, Australia has deep relations with South Sulawesi, including business relationships, and research collaborations.

This includes the Partnership for Australia Indonesia Research (PAIR), Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI), and the Revitalizing Informal Settlements and their Environments (RISE) programs, as well as the Climate Risk Resilience Digital Platform (CSIRO).

At this meeting, Sulaiman handed over souvenirs from South Sulawesi comprising silk and processed seaweed products, to Ambassador Williams.

Source: Antara News

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Kupang district government provides sanitary toilets in villages

The Kupang district authority confirmed that Rp5 billion (some US$350 thousand) was budgeted for providing 302 sanitary toilets in the district’s 10 villages to reduce cases of poverty and stunting in the region.

“Provision of the toilets is one of the local authority’s efforts to offer proper sanitation facilities as a prerequisite to reduce stunting cases in villages in the district,” Kupang District Head Korinus Masneno stated in Kupang on Monday.

The authority has constructed toilets, with individual septic tanks, under the village sanitation programme, with funding sourced from the 2021 regional budget, he noted.

The village sanitation programme utilized local resources, labor, and technology to empower residents and enhance productivity, thereby reducing cases of poverty and stunting by increasing the residents’ daily income, Masneno remarked.

The program provided a total of 302 sanitation facilities at 10 target villages of Tunfeu, Oben, Tasikona, Oepaha, Oenif, Soba, Nekbaun, Merbaun, Kotabes, and Oenoni Il, he noted

Additional toilets were constructed in the Oenif, Tasikona, Nekbaun, and Oenoni Il villages to address prevalent stunting cases there, he added.

Provision of sanitary toilets will enhance the regional authority’s mission to reduce cases of stunting in the district and ensure that the number of sanitary toilets in the region are in line with the national standard, Masneno stated.

The district head has identified low nutritional intake and poor sanitation conditions as two factors causal to the prevalence of stunting in the district, and to this end, the local authority had adopted several measures to address the issue, including providing sanitary toilets.

Masneno expects the provision of sanitary toilets to help residents develop clean and healthy lifestyle habits and reduce the stunting rate in the district.

“The Kupang District authority targets 91.3 percent of households to have access to a sanitary and healthy toilet by 2021, and we currently achieved 89.4 percent of our target,” Masneno added.

Source: Antara News

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Bawaslu highlights pros of non-revision of election law

The General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) drew attention to the various advantages in the event of no amendments being made to the General Election Law..

Bawaslu’s Coordinator Division of the Legal, Public Relations, Data, and Information, Fritz Edward Siregar, delivered the statement.

“If there is no revision, the General Elections Commission (KPU) and Bawaslu can hold the elections better and use the 2020 regional head election as the benchmark,” Siregar noted during an exclusive interview with Antara here on Monday.

Election organizers can view the events of the 2020 regional head election as a benchmark and guideline on which aspects should be of concern to the agency, he pointed out.

Siregar highlighted that the concerns can be in the form of hate speech, hoax content, and disinformation that negatively impact the democratic party.

Several content on elections spread across social media platforms not only harm candidates but also trigger polarization that threatens the integrity of Indonesia as a nation, he expounded.

Moreover, he believes that it was not just about the spread of fake news but interactions related to elections among social media users that could trigger cyber violence.

Thus, Siregar believes that Bawaslu’s concern for the 2024 general elections is the risk of hate content, hoaxes, and disinformation on social media.

“The more sophisticated the technology is, the greater the possibility of violence occurring. We need new strategies to deal with that,” he affirmed.

In line with Siregar’s views, the agency’s Dispute Resolution Division Coordinator, Rahmat Bagja, called on Bawaslu to prepare itself to tackle hoax content that poses a threat to the smooth implementation of the 2024 General Election.

“We have to think of how to deal with hoaxes, the types of methods, and also the creation of a legal structure,” Bagja expounded.

Source: Antara News

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