Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://old.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20080529.I03&irec=2
Weak analysis harms disease management
Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Slow progress in the management of diseases is attributable to the country's poor data collection system and analytical ability, a biostatistics expert said Wednesday.
Sudijanto Kamso of the University of Indonesia's School of Public Health said many programs designed to address national health issues had failed because of incorrect data analysis.
"There seem to be problems with analysis of situations in the regions. As we already know, some data are merely the tip of the iceberg; what has been reported is not always the real condition.
"A lot of cases remain undetected because there have been no reports on them," he said during his inauguration as professor at the university's campus in Depok, West Java.
He warned of the "triple burden" the country was facing now its demography and epidemiology were in a transitional period.
While infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, acute respiratory infections and dengue fever have not yet been eradicated, the number of people developing noninfectious illnesses such as hypertension, stroke, diabetes mellitus and heart disease is increasing rapidly, he said.
Worse, relatively new viruses, such as SARS, bird flu and HIV/AIDS, are widespread.
The transitional era also means there is an increase in the elderly population combined with a decline in total fertility and infant mortality rates.
The number of people older than 60 is predicted to reach 19 million by 2010. The figure currently stands at 16.6 million.
According to Sudijanto, Indonesia lacks the human resources to conduct data analysis on health issues, and training programs on data management for health officers often prove futile because the personnel are later moved to other, unrelated divisions.
He also pointed out there was inappropriate data analysis due to the use of disease determinants from foreign references, while dominant factors of a disease varied for different races, ethnic groups and environments.
Sudijanto said data analysis of domestic health issues should refer to disease determinants specific to the country's various ethnic groups, which have diverse lifestyles and genetic backgrounds.
"The major cause of high blood pressure in West Sumatra may be a high level of cholesterol in the blood. But in Baliem Valley (in Papua) it may be caused by high sodium intake, while in Central Java it may be a result of prolonged and hidden stress."
Sudijanto emphasized the importance of consistent and valid data on biostatistics to deal with biological and health issues.
He also suggested the country take advantage of partnerships with international institutions, from which Indonesian statisticians could develop their analytical ability in data management.
Weak analysis harms disease management
Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Slow progress in the management of diseases is attributable to the country's poor data collection system and analytical ability, a biostatistics expert said Wednesday.
Sudijanto Kamso of the University of Indonesia's School of Public Health said many programs designed to address national health issues had failed because of incorrect data analysis.
"There seem to be problems with analysis of situations in the regions. As we already know, some data are merely the tip of the iceberg; what has been reported is not always the real condition.
"A lot of cases remain undetected because there have been no reports on them," he said during his inauguration as professor at the university's campus in Depok, West Java.
He warned of the "triple burden" the country was facing now its demography and epidemiology were in a transitional period.
While infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, acute respiratory infections and dengue fever have not yet been eradicated, the number of people developing noninfectious illnesses such as hypertension, stroke, diabetes mellitus and heart disease is increasing rapidly, he said.
Worse, relatively new viruses, such as SARS, bird flu and HIV/AIDS, are widespread.
The transitional era also means there is an increase in the elderly population combined with a decline in total fertility and infant mortality rates.
The number of people older than 60 is predicted to reach 19 million by 2010. The figure currently stands at 16.6 million.
According to Sudijanto, Indonesia lacks the human resources to conduct data analysis on health issues, and training programs on data management for health officers often prove futile because the personnel are later moved to other, unrelated divisions.
He also pointed out there was inappropriate data analysis due to the use of disease determinants from foreign references, while dominant factors of a disease varied for different races, ethnic groups and environments.
Sudijanto said data analysis of domestic health issues should refer to disease determinants specific to the country's various ethnic groups, which have diverse lifestyles and genetic backgrounds.
"The major cause of high blood pressure in West Sumatra may be a high level of cholesterol in the blood. But in Baliem Valley (in Papua) it may be caused by high sodium intake, while in Central Java it may be a result of prolonged and hidden stress."
Sudijanto emphasized the importance of consistent and valid data on biostatistics to deal with biological and health issues.
He also suggested the country take advantage of partnerships with international institutions, from which Indonesian statisticians could develop their analytical ability in data management.