Scabies is a disease caused by Sarcoptes scabiei, a mite that is very contagious, especially through direct contact. Scabies is not a fatal disease, but it can reduce a person’s quality of life. Treatment needs to be carried out with family members and/or the community where the patient lives. The difficulty of eradicating scabies has resulted in high prevalence rates in several countries in the world.
Based on Global Burden of Disease Study data in 2015, Indonesia was ranked first with the largest scabies burden out of 195 countries. The highest number of cases were found in Islamic boarding schools and orphanages. Unfortunately, there is a stigma that scabies is a common disease and is normal for students to suffer from because the role of non-medical staff in boarding schools is not optimal in carrying out health promotion.
This was conveyed by Prof. Dr. dr. Sandra Widaty, Sp. D.V.E, Subsp.D.T., in her inaugural speech entitled “Comprehensive Management of Scabies Through Learning and Case Management Online and Outside the Network: Towards an Indonesia Free of Neglected Tropical Diseases (PTT)” in UI Salemba Campus. Prof. Sandra was confirmed by the Chancellor of the University of Indonesia (UI), Prof. Ari Kuncoro, S.E., M.A., Ph.D., as Professor in Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine UI.
Furthermore, Prof. Sandra said that several special strategies were carried out to overcome scabies problems in Indonesia. The FKUI Scabies Free Team developed an instrument called Deskab® in a questionnaire form to ease scabies detection. This instrument was then developed into a mobile application called the Deskab® Application, which is intended for lay users who are suspected of scabies.
The Deskab® application can be downloaded from Playstore. It has two main features, namely scabies detection and education. The detection feature displays the Deskab® instrument questionnaire, while the education feature contains information on the causes, mode of transmission, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of scabies. Information and educational videos have been uploaded on www.deskab.fk.ui.ac.id and the YouTube channel @Deskab. The next strategy is to hold training to increase the knowledge of non-medical personnel in early detection of scabies.
Handling scabies includes treatment, a good-tiered referral system, and prevention by individuals and communities. The first line anti-scabies treatment currently used in Indonesia is 5% permethrin cream. This cream is still quite expensive and has limited availability, even though its use requires large quantities. It has to be applied to the sufferer’s body, repeated at intervals of one week, and given to family members in the household and people in contact with the sufferer.
Prof. Sandra provided recommendations for controlling scabies in Indonesia. First, recommending that the Ministry of Health designate scabies as one of the PTTs and one of the priorities for PTT attention in Indonesia. Second, proposing to provide a complete, wide, and affordable range of anti scabies drugs. Third, encouraging collaboration between various Ministries and State Institutions in Indonesia to jointly deal with scabies. Fourth, increasing collaboration between academics, professional organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other parties. Next, carrying out health promotions regarding scabies through media platforms. Sixth, holding special training for non-medical personnel in various communities. Finally, involve the community, especially health cadres, to detect scabies early and refer them to the nearest health service facilities.
“There is great hope that these strategies and recommendations will make it easier to stop scabies in Indonesia and support the program Towards a Scabies-Free Indonesia 2030,” said Prof. Sandra.
