Indonesia Strengthens Global Health Security Development Collaborations

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Entering its second year of implementation, the Global Health Security Program (GHSP) that kicked-off in June 2021, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), held its first Project Steering Committee. The meeting brought together senior level officials from the relevant ministries and other government bodies along with international development partners to strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration for health sector policy development. 

Dr Kasdi Subagyono, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, in his opening remarks stated that “the world needs to be better prepared for new and re-emerging infectious diseases by promoting one health approach, which prioritizes collaboration between human, animal and environmental health sectors.”

He further added that the collaboration spirit is at the heart of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency 2022, which also aims at focusing on bringing stronger post-pandemic global recovery. 

Meanwhile, acting as the Co-chair of the Steering Committee, Rajendra Aryal, the FAO Representative in Indonesia and Timor Leste, reiterated the centrality of global health architecture in the G20 agenda. 

“FAO has been working very closely with the Government of Indonesia and has always been ready to provide the required technical support to the One Health approach,” Aryal emphasized. 

For the past 16 years, FAO through its Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) has partnered with the Indonesian government to strengthen the local animal health capacity, deliver training and technical assistance on disease surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, outbreak investigation, preparedness and response, and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) control using the ‘One Health’ approach. 

“We hope this project can further strengthen collaboration between the relevant line ministries and government bodies and achieve our common strategic goals both nationally and internationally,” said Dr Nasrullah, the Director-General of Livestock and Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture. In co-leading the meeting, he invited the senior officials to collaboratively support the project on a daily basis to build resilient health and agri-food systems for the people. 

The GHSP project will run until 2024 and focuses on technical assistance in four key areas: a) Multi-sector collaboration and policy development; b) Surveillance, laboratory, and risk management; c) Disease preparedness and response with a One Health focus, and d) National poultry health and control of antimicrobial resistance.

While it will be mainly carried out by FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture, the project will also get close technical guidance from other relevant line ministries and government bodies, such as the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of National Development Planning and the National Agency for Disaster Management.

Read: Indonesia Kicks Off New Global Project to Anticipate Future Pandemics

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