The Jakarta Health Office has involved integrated health post (posyandu) cadres and Family Welfare Movement (PKK) teams to educate the community about atypical acute kidney injury (AKI) that affects children.

“PKK (teams) and posyandu cadres are working together to provide motivation and education to the community regarding this issue,” Head of the Jakarta Health Office Widyastuti informed during an online discussion in Jakarta on Saturday.

She expressed the hope that all parties would jointly boost the community’s understanding given that the number of cases of atypical acute kidney injury in Jakarta reached 82 in the period from January to October 20, 2022.

The data was obtained after actively combing cases in hospitals and community health centers (puskesmas), she said.

Currently, the central government is researching the factors causing the disease.

The Ministry of Health has also issued a circular prohibiting the sale or use of syrups that contain additional substances that are suspected to be among the causes of acute kidney injury in children.

“While waiting for definite results, the ranks of the Jakarta provincial government took the step to temporarily not use one of the substances suspected of being the trigger for acute kidney injury,” she said.

Meanwhile, based on data collected up to Friday, as many as 40 children are suspected to have died in Jakarta due to atypical acute kidney injury.

According to the Jakarta Health Office, the early symptoms of atypical acute kidney injury include fever, cough, runny nose, diarrhea, and vomiting.

The advanced-stage symptoms include a reduction in urine and frequency of urination, swelling in the body, decreased consciousness, and shortness of breath.

The Health Office said children must be brought to a health facility within 12 hours if they are experiencing fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and reduced urination frequency.

“The faster it is detected, the better the recovery will be if it is specially handled,” Widyastuti said.

Source: Antara News