Aspen Medical's relationship with Indonesia grows stronger by the day.

On 22 November, non-executive board member of Aspen Medical Dr. Susan Neuhaus AM CSC launched her book - Malaria Menace/Ancaman Malaria - at the residence of the Ambassador of Indonesia to Australia, His Excellency Dr Siswo Pramono.

Dr Neuhaus was joined at the launch in Canberra by Aspen Medical colleagues including Founder and Executive Chair Glenn Keys AO and VP - Business Development & Growth, Asia G. William Barnard.

What started as a Term 1 semester assignment in Indonesian at Flinders University has become a book published in both Bahasa and English and aimed at children.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Indonesia has the second highest prevalence of malaria in South East Asia with an estimated 800,000 malaria cases in 2021.
 
Malaria also ravages economies with loss of productivity, increased healthcare costs and lowered educational outcomes for affected children.

Speaking at the launch, Dr Neuhaus said, "Simple measures can be very effective – bed nets treated with insecticide, avoiding getting bitten and cleaning up breeding sites in and around communities. Getting that message to children – teaching them about mosquitoes and about what they can do to protect themselves - is just one part of that solution.

"The intent was always to do this as a project that could be accessible to children – and be available in both English and Indonesian. A simple story that could empower and educate children in a way that was fun and useful."

Earlier this year, Aspen Medical turned the sod on our first hospital in West Java at Depok.