Indonesia: migrant health guide
Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients from Indonesia for healthcare practitioners.
Main messages
If the patient is new to the UK:
- explain to them how the NHS works
- discuss how this compares to the healthcare system they’ve been used to
Ensure that all patients are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule.
Screen all new entrants (including children) from this country for tuberculosis (TB).
There is a high burden of Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Indonesia.
Ascertain any risk factors for hepatitis B infection that may indicate the need for screening, because Indonesia has a low prevalence.
Consider screening for hepatitis C, because Indonesia has a considerably higher prevalence than the UK.
Be alert for signs and symptoms of polio, and ensure vaccination as required, because polio (cVDPV1) has recently been reported in Indonesia.
Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin, and see National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), or the Health Protection Scotland websites (TRAVAX and fitfortravel), for travel advice.
There is a high risk of malaria in some areas of Indonesia.
There is a high risk of typhoid infection in Indonesia.
Consider nutritional and metabolic concerns.
Infectious diseases
Immunisation
Ensure that all patients, especially children, are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule. See Immunisation collection with complete schedules.
Tuberculosis
The incidence of TB in Indonesia is high (40 to 499 cases per 100,000), and there is also a high burden of MDR-TB, so:
- screen all new entrants, including children, for TB according to NICE guidelines
- refer to TB services promptly if screening is positive
- seek advice, if you are a local TB service, from the MDR-TB Clinical Advice Service before treating patients from Indonesia for TB
- maintain long term vigilance for symptoms of TB even if initial screening is negative
- be aware that TB is a notifiable disease
Sexually transmitted infections and HIV
Take a sexual history, and:
- screen for STIs and HIV according to risk as specified in the UK national standards and guidelines
- test all sexually active patients under the age of 25 for chlamydia
Indonesia has a low rate of HIV (≤1%), so:
- offer and recommend an HIV test if the patient:
- falls into a high risk group
- is newly registering in a high prevalence area
- be advised that national guidelines do not recommend routine consideration of HIV testing of infants and children who have recently arrived in the UK
Hepatitis B
Indonesia has a low prevalence of hepatitis B, so:
- offer screening for hepatitis B to all pregnant women during each pregnancy
- immunise appropriately babies born to mothers who are hepatitis B positive, and follow-up accordingly
- be aware that the UK has a universal infant immunisation programme for hepatitis B and a selective immunisation programme for higher risk groups
Hepatitis C
Indonesia has a considerably higher prevalence of hepatitis C than the UK, so consider screening for hepatitis C.
Polio
Polio (cVDPV1) has been reported in Indonesia, so:
- be alert for signs and symptoms of polio in anyone arriving from Indonesia, and investigate as appropriate
- ensure all new entrants are brought up to date with the UK immunisation schedule, including polio vaccine as required
- see NaTHNaC for advice about polio vaccine requirements if patients are planning to travel back to Indonesia, as specific advice is in place for long-term visitors (over 4 weeks) to Indonesia.
Travel plans and advice
Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin, and see National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), or the Health Protection Scotland websites (TRAVAX and fitfortravel), for travel advice.
Malaria
There is a high risk of malaria in some areas of Indonesia, due to P. falciparum and P. vivax, so:
- test any unwell patient who has travelled to-and-from affected areas of Indonesia in the last year
- remember that malaria can be rapidly fatal
Typhoid
There is a high risk of typhoid infection in Indonesia, so:
- ensure that travellers to Indonesia are offered typhoid immunisation and advice on prevention of enteric fever
- remember enteric fever in the differential diagnosis of illness in patients with a recent history of travel to-or-from Indonesia
Helminths
There is a risk of helminth infections in Indonesia, including:
- lymphatic filariasis
- soil transmitted helminthiasis
Women’s health
Reproductive health indicators
| Reproductive health indicator | UK | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Number of children per woman¹ | 2 | 2 |
| Use of contraception² | 82% | 60.3% |
¹lifetime average; ²by woman of reproductive age or partner
No data are available on:
- contraceptive use
- number of children per woman
Nutritional and metabolic concerns
Anaemia
There is a moderate risk of anaemia in adults (estimated prevalence in non-pregnant women is 20 to 40%) and pre-school children (estimated prevalence is 20 to 40%), so:
- be alert to the possibility of anaemia in recently arrived migrants, particularly women and pre-school children
- test as clinically indicated
Vitamin D
Consider the possibility of vitamin D deficiency in people who may be at risk due to:
- covering their body for cultural or religious reasons (lack of sunlight)
- skin colour
- diet (vegan or vegetarian)
Vitamin A
There is a risk of vitamin A deficiency in Indonesia.
Iodine
People from Indonesia may be at risk of mild iodine deficiency due to inadequate intake.
Country profile
Health indicators and health care
WHO Global Health Observatory has a summary of health indicators and health care in Indonesia.
Culture, politics and history
BBC News and The World Factbook provide background information on the culture, politics and history of Indonesia.
Languages
The main languages used in Indonesia are:
- Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay)
- English
- Dutch
- local dialects (of which the most widely spoken is Javanese)
Source: The World Factbook.
Religions
| Religion | Population (%) |
|---|---|
| Muslim | 87.2 |
| Christian | 7 |
| Roman Catholic | 2.9 |
| Hindu | 1.7 |
| Other (includes Buddhist and Confucian) | 0.9 |
| Unspecified | 0.4 |
Source: The World Factbook.
Migration to the UK
There were almost 9,000 people from Indonesia living in England and Wales at the time of the 2011 Census.
Source: Office for National Statistics.
Updates to this page
Published 31 July 2014Last updated 30 July 2019 + show all updates
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Updated polio advice based on WHO statement on the 21st IHR Emergency Committee regarding the international spread of poliovirus.
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First published.