Indonesia is on the right track on pandemic preparedness

Bangkok, June 23, 2009 - KOMNAS FBPI - The meeting of human and animal health authorities in Bangkok said that Indonesia's pandemic preparedness and response program is on the right track.   

The Southeast Asian nations says Indonesia is in the right track in responding and preparing for worsen pandemic flu situation. 

Based on assessment carried out in Indonesia by a team of experts, the country has achieved much in its efforts to combat avian influenza for pandemic preparedness and response of phase 1 to phase 4, at which the level of flu infection was only sourced from animals.

"Particularly in the animal and health sectors," said the report of Assessment of National Multisectoral Pandemic Preparedness and Response published by ASEAN's Technical Working Group on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (ATWG PPR). 

The report also highlights Indonesia's efforts to step up awareness and involvement of non-health sectors. These efforts have helped Indonesia to proactively responding to the present A H1N1 pandemic influenza. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this month that the world is in the early days of pandemic influenza due to skyrocketing increase of the A H1N1 cases across the globe. 

The report also says Indonesia is still in the process of transitioning to a fully functional multisectoral coordination modality and therefore needs further work in responding to, mitigating of and recovering from a possible more severe pandemic situation. 

The report highlights the role of the country's pandemic coordinating body, KOMNAS FBPI, saying: "KOMNAS FBPI is well positioned, has increasingly taken many of the features of a central government multisectoral coordinating body for pandemics and is moving in the right direction." 

At the sub national level, Indonesia shows some strength but more work to be done, the report says. In province level, local government officials expressed little-to-no knowledge about activities are underway in the area of pandemic preparedness planning and coordination in their areas of jurisdiction. 

In contrast, the municipal or sub district visited by ASEAN's assessment team, it reported an impressive range of village level planning, training, socialization and exercises and was confident it could cope with a phase 6 pandemic. 

"Thanks to the role of non-government agencies, both international and local, who have been very active in combating avian influenza at pandemic phase 1-4," the report says. UN agencies, such as UNICEF Indonesia plays a vital role in preparing Indonesians for pandemic due to its aggressive and wide range of activities in controlling avian influenza, says a government official in condition of anonimity.  

KOMNAS deputy chief Emil Agustiono said the report's findings were not unexpected as many had been done by Indonesian government and its partners. "The report validates what we have done and what we expect to do in the future. We will continue contributing our utmost in mitigating the impact of pandemic," he said.