Infectious and Tropical Diseases Epidemiology

Infectious and Tropical Diseases Epidemiology (ITDE) Research Lab

Indonesia is a middle-income and the fourth most populous country (population ~279 million) that has high burdens of major infectious and tropical diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, dengue, and other neglected tropical diseases.

For examples, the country has reported the second highest tuberculosis burden in the world, and together with India, accounted for about 94% of all malaria deaths in the WHO South-East Asia Region. During the recent pandemic, Indonesia reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in southeast Asia, further illustrating the country’s vulnerability to emerging risks of infectious and tropical diseases.

Transmission dynamics

To improve understanding on infectious and tropical diseases transmission dynamics, including impact of environment and climate change on vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and other diseases of interest to the Ministry of Health of Indonesia.
Population-level immunity

To improve understanding on population-level immunity and burden of vaccine preventable diseases, emerging, and neglected tropical diseases relevant to Indonesia.
Surveillance & control

To improve surveillance and control of infectious and tropical diseases by utilising novel diagnostics tools, remote sensing, advanced analytical methods, and building engagement with impacted communities and policymakers in Indonesia and in the Southeast Asia region.

Our works

Our research initiatives addressing critical infectious disease challenges in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Sustainable development of Ibu Kota Nusantara: impacts on emerging malaria and dengue risks.
Integrated multi-disease surveillance of vector-borne diseases in a development area in Indonesia: a baseline community-based cross-sectional study.
Evaluating zoonotic malaria transmission and agricultural land use in Indonesia (ZOOMAL).
Identification of biomarkers of severe dengue haemorrhagic fever.
Data science-integrated modelling to support TB control in Indonesia.
X-ray AI TB: development of artificial intelligence for x-ray-based tuberculosis screening in remote areas of Indonesia.
Health system enhancement for the pandemic preparedness in Indonesia and Vietnam.

Meet the researchers

Our partners

We collaborate with leading institutions across Indonesia and around the world.

Kementerian Kesehatan Republik Indonesia
Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional
Centre for Tropical Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada
Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara
Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia
Indonesia Infectious Disease Modelling Community
Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Indonesia
University of Oxford, UK
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK
National University of Singapore

Publications & media

Below are our recent peer-reviewed publications and media coverage of our research.

- Wiratama BS, et al. Durability of protection of ancestral-strain COVID-19 third- and fourth-dose vaccine boosters against Omicron XBB/XBB.1 and JN.1 symptomatic infec-tion, hospitalisation and mortality in Indonesian adults (2023–2024): a test-negative case–control study. The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lansea.2025.100689.
- Stresman G, et al. Evidence-based decision-making for malaria elimination: An obser-vational study applying the Freedom From Infection statistical framework in five malaria eliminating countries. Lancet Global Health. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(25)00236-0.
- Balakrishnan V, et al. Developing and assessing MyTBCompanion - A tri-lingual inte-grated video observed therapy app for tuberculosis patient management in Malaysia and Indonesia. PLoS One. 2025 Apr 29;20(4):e0320394. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320394.
- Braima KA, et al. Improved limit of detection for zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi and P. cynomolgi surveillance using reverse transcription for total nucleic acid preserved sam-ples or dried blood spots. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2025 Feb 6;19(2):e0012129. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012129.
- Surendra H, et al. Mitigating risks of malaria and other vector-borne diseases in the new capital city of Indonesia. Nature Communications. 2024 Dec 5;15(1):10575. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54891-x.
- Nelli L, Surendra H*(shared first authorship), et al. Freedom from infection: enhancing decision-making for malaria elimination. BMJ Glob Health. 2024 Dec 7;9(12):e014412. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2023-014412.
- Sinto R, Limato R, Radiani SP, et al. A nationwide mixed methods study of gaps and barriers to implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs in hospitals in Indonesia. Journal of Hospital Infection. 2024 Oct 17:S0195-6701(24)00334-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2024.10.001.
- Suwarti S, Lazarus G, Zanjabila S, et al. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody dynamics after primary vaccination with two-dose inactivated whole-virus vaccine, heterologous mRNA-1273 vaccine booster, and Omicron breakthrough infection in Indonesian health care workers. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2024 Aug 1;24(1):768. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-024-09644-y.
- Karuniawati A, Pasaribu AP, Lazarus G, et al. Characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with pre-delta, delta and omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection in Indonesia (2020–2023): a multicentre prospective cohort study. The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lansea.2023.100348.
- Surendra H, Elyazar IRF, Puspaningrum E, et al. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tuberculosis control in Indonesia: a nationwide longitudinal analysis of programme data. Lancet Global Health. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00312-1.
- Surendra H, Praptiningsih CY, Ersanti AM, et al. Clinical characteristics and factors associated with COVID-19-related mortality and hospital admission during the first two epidemic waves in 5 rural provinces in Indonesia: a retrospective cohort study. PLOS ONE. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283805.
- Surendra, H., Paramita, D., Arista, N.N. et al. Geographical variations and district-level factors associated with COVID-19 mortality in Indonesia: a nationwide ecological study. BMC Public Health. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15015-0.
- Gejala chikungunya sulit dikenali: Seberapa siap sistem kesehatan kita? The Conversation. 8 September 2025. https://theconversation.com/gejala-chikungunya-sulit-dikenali-seberapa-siap-sistem-kesehatan-kita-264263
- Dampak pembangunan IKN berisiko picu penularan malaria: Pemerintah harus siapkan mitigasi. The Conversation. 5 March 2025. https://theconversation.com/dampak-pembangunan-ikn-berisiko-picu-penularan-malaria-pemerintah-harus-siapkan-mitigasi-250916
- Indonesia’s new capital poses public health risks. Science. 7 February 2025. https://www.science.org/content/article/indonesia-s-new-capital-could-become-hot-spot-infectious-diseases

Contact us

Interested in collaborating or joining our research team? We're always looking for passionate researchers to advance infectious disease epidemiology.

Monash University, Indonesia

Monash University, Indonesia

Infectious and Tropical Diseases Epidemiology