Indonesia - Water, Sanitation & Hygiene ("WASH")

This is exactly why I will not eat fresh water fish from Indonesia.  Fresh water in Indonesia is an oxymoron by the way!  Also, if you're eating street food or even from more established restaurants, God only knows what kind of water they're using to "clean" your dishes, drinking cups and glasses, and utensils with; let alone the health and hygiene of the local staff people handling your food in the kitchen or preparing food from their home, kampung or ruko.  Also it is common in Indonesia for people to prepare food in batches early in the day and let it sit out all day at room or outdoor temperature (very hot & humid) and leave it out uncovered, or even serve it again the next day.  Make sure your meals are served piping hot and freshly cooked.

Indonesia does not have anything like Health Department food safety permits, certifications and compliance inspections of restaurants or eating establishments as we know it in the States which are designed to protect the public (the same goes for vehicle safety and emissions inspections).  Consequently, God only knows what you may be ingesting which, if it does not immediately make you sick or ill; may have some long term detrimental health effects...

You're going to have to eat and drink something while you're in Indonesia; just be extra vigilant and cautious what and where you eat.

See my previous article on Basic Health Care in Indonesia. 

       

Article below from Jakarta Post:

Indonesia is the third-lowest ranking ASEAN country in terms of sanitation quality, according to Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto.

"We're obviously not in the worst position, but that’s where we are. Just look at UNICEF's data from 2011, which reported that 26 percent of Indonesian citizens are still defecating in open spaces," Djoko said on Monday at a sanitation conference in Jakarta, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Furthermore, Djoko said that 76.3 percent of 53 rivers surveyed in Java, Sumatra, Bali and Sulawesi were contaminated with organic materials. He also said that there were 11 rivers that were contaminated with ammonium.

This was why Djoko said that the country was still far behind when it came to sanitation. To catch up to other countries, he said, the government was taking a variety of measures to provide better sanitation and waste management throughout Indonesia.

"In the past few years, the government has made sanitation a higher priority. Investment in sanitation is also relatively big, at no less than Rp 3 trillion (US$315,498) per year," he said.

However, Djoko said that none of these efforts would be useful without public support in the form of better sanitary behavior.

"Dirty habits have to be thrown away. From now on, the public should understand that it should not litter. Nor should members of the public defecate wherever they please, like in rivers," he said. (png)

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Country Profile Summary from UNICEF:

Water and sanitation conditions remain very poor in most areas of Indonesia, resulting in high rates of susceptibility to water-related diseases, especially among children. In 2004, only 53.4% of Indonesia’s population obtained its water from sources further than 10 metres from excreta disposal sites – a universal standard for water safety. In Jakarta, for instance, 84% of samples from shallow wells were contaminated by fecal coliform. 

Since communities are not always aware of the importance of good hygiene, hygiene practices are often not conducive to good health, and latrines are not maintained or used appropriately. High occurrences of diarrhea, skin disease, intestinal and other waterborne disease in low-income communities therefore remain a frequent obstacle to improving child health more generally.

Besides poor access to safe water, a failure to aggressively promote behavioural change - particularly among low-income families and slum dwellers – has further worsened Indonesia’s water and sanitation situation. The provision of clean drinking water has unfortunately not yet been taken up as a serious development priority in Indonesia, particularly at the provincial government level.