Devastating health conditions in Asmat

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Multiple Indonesian news outlets have reported of new cases revealing the ongoing health crisis in West Papua. At least 62 villagers died in the Asmat regency due to malnutrition and the outbreak of measles epidemic since September 2017. Hundreds of villagers have been infected by measles and face difficulties to access health care services. The large majority of affected are indigenous Papuans below the age of five years.

In the Asmat regency, the measles and malnutrition epidemic has affected multiple districts. While numbers of dead and affected villagers vary between sources at least 550 people have been infected while at least 62 villagers died, mostly children under the age of 5 years. At least 175 patients had to be hospitalized. However, health care facilities in the regency are in poor condition, even in the regency's largest city of Agats. According to media sources the public hospital is not equipped to deal with all the patients of measles and malnutrition. The hospital only meets health standards of category D hospital with limited facilities, paramedics, doctors and medicine. At least 13 patients of had to be moved to a nearby church building because there are only 20 beds available.

Souces:
The Justice and Peace of Agats Dioces
International Coalition for Papua Report

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