Jakarta, June 12 -- The Indonesian Ministry of Health is prioritizing efforts to eliminate malaria in Papua considering the high number of cases in the region.

Director of communicable disease at the ministry Ina Agustina Isturini told a press conference here on Thursday that 93 percent or 508,120 of the total malaria cases in Indonesia have been reported from Papuan provinces.

The ministry is taking several efforts to eliminate malaria in Papua, including incorporating malaria screening into the Free Health Screening (CKG) program.

"This (CKG) is one of the entry gates. We are providing more screenings," she said.

The Ministry of Health has also increased the number of cadres tasked with conducting malaria tests and providing medicin...