195 Children Died of Acute Kidney Disease in Indonesia

Ministry Budi said that those three compounds enter the body, causing the process of metabolism. The body's natural metabolism converts the compounds into oxalic acid, a harmful chemical substance.

"Metabolism converts them into oxalic acid," the Minister of Health said.

Oxalic acid that enters the kidneys can become a harmful calcium oxalate.

"It looks like small sharp crystals. So, if there are small sharp crystals in our toddlers, the kidneys are damaged," he added.

Budi also said that mortality rate has decreased since the use of Fomepizole, an antidote used as a treatment for AKI patients.

The distribution of Fomepizole was expanded on 25 October 2022. Initially, they were only distributed to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. Now, they were delivered to 17 hospitals in 11 provinces of Indonesia.

About 87% of Fomepizole imported by the Ministry of Health are donations from friendly countries. For information, out of a total of 324 children affected by AKI, 102 recovered, 194 died, and 28 were still under treatment.

Syahril noted that as of Thursday (3/11), there were 323 cases of patients who developed AKI, of which 190 patients were reported dead.

He said that from the total confirmed cases, two cases were omitted because no alleged cause was found.

It is known that the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, at the Commission IX meeting with the DPR, said that 325 children were confirmed with AKI, 179 of whom died.

"We want to convey that the recording and reporting of cases of this acute kidney injury are very dynamic, like the previous acute hepatitis," said Syahril during a press conference broadcasted online on Friday (4/11).

Syahril explained that there were 323 cases of acute kidney injury spread across 28 provinces. DKI Jakarta became the highest contributor to AKI cases followed by West Java, Aceh, East Java, and West Sumatra.

He also said that cases of acute kidney injury in children in Indonesia increased at the end of August 2022. Then, cases of kidney failure continued to rise during September and October 2022.

Writer: Adelina Wahyu Martanti.