Papua faces unique challenges that requires a multidisciplinary approach to address persistent infectious disease transmission. These infectious diseases, such as malaria, dengue, lymphatic filariasis, tuberculosis, sexual transmitted diseases, intestinal nematode infections, leprosy, and respiratory infections, caused disproportionately high rates of morbidity and mortality and continue to remain a major threat on the well-being of its population. Local inhabitants always grapple with geographical remoteness, limited access to health services, limited infrastructure, resources and trained health personnel, growing resistance to drugs and insecticides, delays in diagnosis and treatment, inadequate surveillance systems, diverse sociocultural dynamics and low community engagement. Vulnerable groups, such as children, pregnant women, mobile and migrant population, indigenous tribal communities and military personnel, bear the greatest burden, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and malaria that undermines long-term regional development.

Indonesia has a series of policies and interventions for controlling infectious diseases. For instance, malaria, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Indonesia has set a goal to eliminate this disease by 2030. This target reflects the country’s commitment in ending this problem. The available intervention options range from insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying, larval source control, chemoprophylaxis, and antimalarial drugs. However, as the efforts toward elimination were complicated with multiple challenges, elimination by 2030 will not be achieved unless new additional interventions are implemented. Therefore, MOH came up with a series of strategies known as Temukan Obati dan KENdalikan (TOKEN) to accelerate the elimination progress. The key strategies involve Early Detection and Prompt Treatment (EDAT) approach, mass drug administration, larva source modification, mass campaign of long-lasting insecticide nets and community-based malaria cadres.

To effectively combat infectious malaria in Papua, it is crucial to develop a comprehensive understanding of how the malaria affects inhabitants of the island. This necessitates the adoption of a social, culture and gender lens that specifically focuses on high-risk vulnerable groups. Addressing these issues requires a multidisciplinary approach that integrates diverse fields of expertise, innovative methodologies, and meaningful policy engagement. A common reality at the operational level is that these interventions are not well equipped with reliable and user-friendly tools to measure their impact to health outcomes. There is no specific training or tools available for program managers to use. For these interventions to be efficient and sustainable, they must be carefully monitored and evaluated for their impact, effectiveness, and long-term benefits. This requires systematic and comprehensive data collection and analysis to assess not only the individual success of each intervention but also how they work together in various contexts to reduce cases. The ability to assess the impact as well as to react based on evidences is something that sub-national program managers must possess.