Latest news with #BRIN
Arab News
14-05-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Indonesia develops AI system to help diagnose malaria
JAKARTA: Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency is developing an artificial intelligence-powered system to help diagnose malaria under the country's efforts to eliminate the disease by 2030. Indonesia recorded over half a million malaria cases in 2024, but due to the lack of testing, the World Health Organization estimates that the actual number was at least twice higher. 'Our main goal is to create a computer-aided diagnosis system that can automatically recognize malaria status from blood smear images,' Anto Satriyo Nugroho, head of AI and cyber security at Indonesia's national research agency, or BRIN, said in a statement. Such a system would speed up confirmation of malaria, which to date is mostly done through microscopic examination. 'We are optimistic that sustainable AI research and development will create an important tool for diagnosis that will contribute significantly to eliminating malaria in Indonesia,' Nugroho added. AI applications are rapidly gaining in popularity, including in medical care to improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection and clinical laboratory testing. In 2020, a study published in Nature showed researchers from Google Health, and universities in the US and UK, reporting on an AI model that reads mammograms with fewer false positives and false negatives than human experts. That algorithm has since been released for commercial use globally. In Indonesia, BRIN researchers have been working with various local and foreign universities, the WHO as well as other UN agencies to speed up the country's efforts in eliminating malaria. An AI-powered system also opens up possibilities for remote diagnostics, which would enable healthcare workers to reach and assess patients in outlying areas. Malaria is endemic in eastern parts of Indonesia, with around 90 percent of cases reported from the easternmost province of Papua, where healthcare access remains low due to challenging terrain and limited resources. 'With the massive potential to increase accuracy in diagnosis and improve efficiency in healthcare services in endemic areas, BRIN is optimistic that AI technology will become a strategic partner in managing malaria cases nationally,' BRIN stated. 'AI cannot work on its own. Collaboration between tech experts and biomedical researchers is an absolute requirement for this technology to be reliable.'
The Star
09-05-2025
- The Star
Indonesia's crocodiles are back and fishermen have scars to prove it
Jamal remembers the day like it was yesterday. Four years ago, while fishing off the coast of Palu in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province, his routine trip turned into a life-or-death battle. It all happened so fast, he said. Out on his boat alone in the early evening, Jamal was ambushed by a saltwater crocodile that climbed aboard and dragged him into the water. 'There were 10 bite marks on my body,' he recalled. 'I wrestled with the crocodile.' Acting on instinct, he grabbed a knife from his boat. 'Within five minutes, I stabbed its eye, and it let go. If we panic, we're done for.' Jamal survived. He swam back to his boat, steered it to shore, and ran to the nearest clinic. A week later, he was back at sea. 'I'm not afraid because the ocean is our livelihood,' he said. Jamal is one of a dozen fishermen in Indonesia who survived an attack from a 2.5m crocodile. A saltwater crocodile ready for its next meal scrounging on a rocky beach in Palu Bay in Central Sulawest, Indonesia. — Photos: MUHAMMAD TAUFAN/dpa Fatal attacks Jamal is one of the lucky ones. Many are less fortunate. In January 2024, Arjo, a fisherman from Bangka Island off Sumatra's eastern coast, was setting his nets in the shallow waters of the Nyire River when a crocodile struck. 'It grabbed me from behind and pulled me under,' Arjo, 34, said. 'I had no time to think - only to fight.' With his left hand, he clung desperately to a wooden pole while the crocodile's jaws crushed his right. In a desperate act of survival, he bit the reptile's face, hoping to startle it. After a gruelling 10 minutes, the predator finally released him. Bleeding heavily, Arjo swam to shore and walked nearly three kilometres before receiving help. He lost his hand but survived - an increasingly rare outcome in Indonesia's growing tally of crocodile attacks. Others weren't as lucky Recently, a 51-year-old man was pulled underwater by a crocodile while swimming off Palu on Sulawesi – an island between Borneo and New Guinea known for its coral reefs. Rescue workers who rushed to the scene found him caught in the large crocodile's jaw. The animal was shot dead – but it was too late for its victim. According to statistics from the independent CrocAttack database, there were 179 crocodile attacks on humans in Indonesia last year alone – far more than in any other country. For 92 victims, the encounter ended fatally. Often the bodies are never found. By comparison: in Australia, whose tropical regions are often portrayed as extremely dangerous, only seven attacks with three fatalities were recorded. Saltwater crocodiles are the largest reptiles in the world and can reach a length of seven metres. Fighting for resources Local fishermen say crocodile sightings have become increasingly common in many Indonesian regions where they were once rare. Amir Hamidy, a reptile expert at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), says habitat loss and a growing human population on the world's largest island state are primarily responsible for the dangerous trend. 'As the crocodile population and the human population increase and compete for the same resources, interactions become inevitable,' says Hamidy. Indonesia is home to several crocodile species, but most conflicts arise with the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). It is the largest and most aggressive crocodile species and is found throughout South-East Asia and Australia. These animals can exceed six metres in length and are extremely territorial. They are also extremely adaptable and thrive in a variety of habitats, from rivers and mangrove forests to coastal waters. 'This adaptability, combined with their wide range, increases their chances of encountering humans,' Hamidy emphasises. Thriving in man-made waters Attacks are more frequent than average in the regions of East Kalimantan on Borneo and Bangka-Belitung off Sumatra. This is due not only to the increase in agriculture but also to mining activities. The often illegal tin mining in Bangka-Belitung has created many artificial bodies of water which are an ideal habitat for crocodiles in search of new hunting grounds. Around 90% of the tin exported by Indonesia comes from this province. Numerous prehistoric reptiles have now taken up residence in abandoned pits, says animal rights activist Endy Yusuf. The construction of canals for palm oil plantations and other changes to waterways have also created new habitats. As a result, the presence of crocodiles in populated areas has increased dramatically, often with fatal consequences. In Bangka alone, two people were killed and four others injured by crocodiles earlier this year. Yusuf believes the real numbers are likely much higher due to underreporting. One local fisherman, Arjo, narrowly escaped death after an attack in the Nyire River because, according to his own account, he managed to bite the crocodile in the face with his last ounce of strength. After a desperate 10-minute fight, the animal finally let go of him, he says. But Arjo lost his right hand in the fight with the croc. Population spike Once heavily hunted for their meat and leather, crocodiles in Indonesia were pushed to the brink of extinction. Crocodile meat is considered a delicacy, and crocodile leather is used to make luxury handbags, belts and boots. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), numerous crocodile species were hunted so heavily in the past that they almost became extinct. Since banning large-scale crocodile hunting in the late 1990s, Indonesia has seen a rebound in populations across much of the country – but some regions remain exceptions. On the densely populated main island of Java, saltwater crocodiles are practically extinct due to the extensive destruction of their habitat and years of hunting. Lack of warning systems On many other islands, however, the armoured animals remain a huge problem. In contrast to other countries – such as Australia, where exclusion zones and warning systems help to minimise conflicts between crocodiles and humans – there are no such protective measures in Indonesia. At the same time, rivers and the sea are the livelihood of many Indonesians and an integral part of everyday life. Crocodile expert Hamidy says: 'We have to find ways to coexist while minimising the risks for humans and crocodiles.' Yet how to accomplish this remains unclear. – By AHMAD PATHONI and CAROLA FRENTZEN/dpa
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
Indonesia's crocodiles are back and fishermen have scars to prove it
Jamal remembers the day like it was yesterday. Four years ago, while fishing off the coast of Palu in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province, his routine trip turned into a life-or-death battle. It all happened so fast, he said. Out on his boat alone in the early evening, Jamal was ambushed by a saltwater crocodile that climbed aboard and dragged him into the water. "There were 10 bite marks on my body," he recalled. "I wrestled with the crocodile." Acting on instinct, he grabbed a knife from his boat. "Within five minutes, I stabbed its eye, and it let go. If we panic, we're done for." Jamal survived. He swam back to his boat, steered it to shore, and ran to the nearest clinic. A week later, he was back at sea. "I'm not afraid because the ocean is our livelihood," he said. World's highest number of fatal attacks Jamal is one of the lucky ones. Many are less fortunate. In January 2024, Arjo, a fisherman from Bangka Island off Sumatra's eastern coast, was setting his nets in the shallow waters of the Nyire River when a crocodile struck. "It grabbed me from behind and pulled me under," Arjo, 34, said. "I had no time to think - only to fight." With his left hand, he clung desperately to a wooden pole while the crocodile's jaws crushed his right. In a desperate act of survival, he bit the reptile's face, hoping to startle it. After a gruelling 10 minutes, the predator finally released him. Bleeding heavily, Arjo swam to shore and walked nearly three kilometres before receiving help. He lost his hand but survived - an increasingly rare outcome in Indonesia's growing tally of crocodile attacks. Others weren't as lucky Recently, a 51-year-old man was pulled underwater by a crocodile while swimming off Palu on Sulawesi - an island between Borneo and New Guinea known for its coral reefs. Rescue workers who rushed to the scene found him caught in the large crocodile's jaw. The animal was shot dead - but it was too late for its victim. According to statistics from the independent CrocAttack database, there were 179 crocodile attacks on humans in Indonesia last year alone - far more than in any other country. For 92 victims, the encounter ended fatally. Often the bodies are never found. By comparison: in Australia, whose tropical regions are often portrayed as extremely dangerous, only seven attacks with three fatalities were recorded. Humans and wildlife fight for resources Local fishermen say crocodile sightings have become increasingly common in many Indonesian regions where they were once rare. Amir Hamidy, a reptile expert at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), says habitat loss and a growing human population on the world's largest island state are primarily responsible for the dangerous trend. "As the crocodile population and the human population increase and compete for the same resources, interactions become inevitable," says Hamidy. Saltwater crocodile: Largest and most aggressive species Indonesia is home to several crocodile species, but most conflicts arise with the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). It is the largest and most aggressive crocodile species and is found throughout South-East Asia and Australia. These animals can exceed six metres in length and are extremely territorial. They are also extremely adaptable and thrive in a variety of habitats, from rivers and mangrove forests to coastal waters. "This adaptability, combined with their wide range, increases their chances of encountering humans," Hamidy emphasizes. Crocodiles thriving in man-made waters Attacks are more frequent than average in the regions of East Kalimantan on Borneo and Bangka-Belitung off Sumatra. This is due not only to the increase in agriculture but also to mining activities. The often illegal tin mining in Bangka-Belitung has created many artificial bodies of water which are an ideal habitat for crocodiles in search of new hunting grounds. Around 90% of the tin exported by Indonesia comes from this province. Numerous prehistoric reptiles have now taken up residence in abandoned pits, says animal rights activist Endy Yusuf. The construction of canals for palm oil plantations and other changes to waterways have also created new habitats. As a result, the presence of crocodiles in populated areas has increased dramatically. Often with fatal consequences. In Bangka alone, two people were killed and four others injured by crocodiles earlier this year. Yusuf believes the real numbers are likely much higher due to underreporting. One local fisherman, Arjo, narrowly escaped death after an attack in the Nyire River because, according to his own account, he managed to bite the crocodile in the face with his last ounce of strength. After a desperate 10-minute fight, the animal finally let go of him, he says. But Arjo lost his right hand in the fight with the croc. Hunting ban fuels population spike Once heavily hunted for their meat and leather, crocodiles in Indonesia were pushed to the brink of extinction. Crocodile meat is considered a delicacy, and crocodile leather is used to make luxury handbags, belts and boots. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), numerous crocodile species were hunted so heavily in the past that they almost became extinct. Since banning large-scale crocodile hunting in the late 1990s, Indonesia has seen a rebound in populations across much of the country — but some regions remain exceptions. On the densely populated main island of Java, saltwater crocodiles are practically extinct due to the extensive destruction of their habitat and years of hunting. Lack of warning systems On many other islands, however, the armoured animals remain a huge problem. In contrast to other countries - such as Australia, where exclusion zones and warning systems help to minimize conflicts between crocodiles and humans - there are no such protective measures in Indonesia. At the same time, rivers and the sea are the livelihood of many Indonesians and an integral part of everyday life. Crocodile expert Hamidy says: "We have to find ways to coexist while minimizing the risks for humans and crocodiles." Yet how to accomplish this, remains unclear.
