Sumenep, East Java. Authorities in Sumenep Regency on Madura Island have declared a health emergency following a measles outbreak that has infected more than 2,700 children and killed 20 since January.

Local health officials have launched a large-scale measles-rubella vaccination drive that has begun to slow the spread of the highly contagious virus. As of Tuesday, about 100 children remained in isolation wards across the regency, according to Achmad Syamsuri, head of disease control and prevention at the Sumenep Health Department.

“Until the third week of the health emergency, 43 measles patients are being treated at hospitals and 57 others at district clinics. We have recorded around 2,700 cases between January and early September,” Syamsuri said.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through coughing, sneezing, or close contact. Symptoms typically include high fever, cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, and a characteristic red rash that usually begins on the face before spreading across the body. Complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and severe dehydration can be fatal, particularly for young children and those with weakened immune systems.

Although measles can be prevented with a safe and effective vaccine, outbreaks continue to occur in areas with low immunization coverage. According to the World Health Organization, more than 100,000 people worldwide die from measles every year, most of them children under the age of five.

Vaccination Campaign
Government data shows that over 23,000 children in Sumenep have received the vaccine since the campaign began in late August, out of a target of around 74,000.

During a visit to the island in late August, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin confirmed that Sumenep, home to about 1.1 million people, currently has the highest concentration of measles cases in Indonesia.

The high fatality rate and growing hospitalizations have left many parents fearful.

Fatimah, a mother from Sumenep, said her daughter developed measles symptoms after returning from school with a high fever and rash.

“My daughter’s body temperature wouldn’t drop, so I took her to the nearest clinic where she had to be treated. Thank God she is now recovering,” she said.

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