Report on – 33rd IC Resolution 3: Time to act: Tackling epidemics and pandemics together (33IC/19/R3) – Indonesian Red Cross Society

Has your State/National Society/Institution incorporated the commitments contained in this resolution into the relevant strategic or operational plans?

The commitments are incorporated into:
Strategy
Operational plan

At the National, Local level

Explanation:

As mentioned on the Indonesian Red Cross – Strategic Plan 2019-2024, specifically on Strategic Plan 4 of the Palang Merah Indonesia (PMI) stated Improving the quality and outreach of disaster management services, health crises and other humanitarian crises, through strengthening PMI service units at all levels and developing the potential of community resources. This is done through strengthening preparedness programs in reducing health risks by empowering communities that strive to create safe and resilient communities in facing the risk of outbreak, epidemics and pandemics. Providing health services and mobilizing personnel in handling public health emergencies.

Operational plans for community empowerment preparedness programs in reducing health risks as well as operational plans for responding to public health emergencies are made in detail with a clear time frame involving implementing provinces and districts/cities. A road map for efforts to identify roles for prevention, preparedness and response of PMI in handling outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics has been prepared including the preparation of a health information system to support this.

Has your State/National Society/Institution been working with other partners to implement the commitments contained in this resolution?

Partner with:
ICRC/IFRC
Other National Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies
Humanitarian and development partners (e.g. UN, NGOs etc.)
Academia

Examples of cooperation:

Technical assistance and ongoing discussions with IFRC and Australia Red Cross in preparing operational plans for community-based epidemic and pandemic preparedness programs as well as operational plans for response to outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics. Funding support through IFRC and Australia RC by connecting PMI to development partners such as USAID and DFAT. PMI join Centre of Excellence Pandemic Program with Singapore Red Cross, Member of National Taskforce for RCCE+ (Risk Communication and Community Engagement).

Collaborative implementation of activities, discussions and sharing of learning from the implementation of epidemic pandemic preparedness programs with academics who are members of the Indonesia One Health University Network (INDOHUN) and other partners such as the Australian Indonesia Health Security Partnership (AIHSP).

Indonesian Red Cross also working closely with Government of Indonesia at all levels, various ministries and government institutions such as: Coordinating ministry of human empowerment and culture, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Forestry and Environment, Ministry of Home affair, National Agency for Disaster Management.

Have you encountered any challenges in implementing the commitments contained in this resolution?

With challenges on:
Human resources
Funding constraints
Lack of leadership support
Competing priorities
Lack of specific knowledge/expertise
Lack of capacity and/or support (technical, financial, or other)

Details about challenges:

Handling epidemic and pandemic problems requires cross-sector support and collaboration, not limited to health services, in some cases supporting this issue requires special expertise that may not only health sector. Limited number of staff at PMI HQ to manage technical assistance to technical staff at provinces and districts in implementing community empowerment programs, various disasters and public health emergency response that occur at the same time can impact implementation results. Human resources are also needed to monitor the health information system reporting “alerts” collected from the community so that it can be used as material for relevant fact-based advocacy to leaders and external parties, and the importance of system maintenance for sustainability. If all functions are carried out with limited human resources, the results obtained will not be optimal. Some of this is due to funding constraints which still depend on external support projects.

Dealing with these issues, we must optimize capacity at local level and managing voluntary work at community. At the organizational level, PMI needs to allocate Special Fund Contingency Fund for Initial Outbreak Response.

Have the commitments contained in this resolution had an impact on the work and direction of your State/National Society/Institution?

Type of Impact:
Cooperation between Government/public authorities and National Society has been strengthened
Innovative tools/methodologies have been developed and are utilized
Partnerships with other humanitarian actors have been created or enhanced
Increase in mobilization of resources
Training and capacity of staff and volunteers has increased (for National Societies)

Details about the impact:

Through learning from PMI’s Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Program, the results of work in the field and project evaluations have been implemented and disseminated to all sectors, both internal and external. The importance of the community’s role in collecting “alert” reports from the community as a preventive measure, early detection and early action which can ultimately reduce disease transmission in the community has encouraged the Government to form a National Working Group on Strengthening the Community Based Surveillance Roadmap (SBM). PMI is part of the national working group and has more connections with various ministries and government institutions. The results of the National Working Group have produced Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Regulation No. 7 of 2022 concerning Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Diseases and New Infectious Diseases. The SBM Reporting Information System tools and training material modalities that have been developed and implemented by PMI are adopted and adapted which will then be used on a national scale. National training in strengthening cadres at the community level in early disease detection involves PMI both as trainers and participants.

Have the commitments contained in this resolution had an impact on the communities that your State/National Society/Institution serves?

Description of the impact:

Strengthening the capacity of the community regarding coordination, collaboration across sectors in carrying out various activities in the community as an effort to reduce health risks and response efforts to control outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics. Increasing public awareness of the threat of infectious diseases that exist in society, both those transmitted between humans and those transmitted through animals, including increasing knowledge and changing behaviour in terms of preventing and transmitting these diseases and taking immediate action to report if there are suspected cases found in the community. Increased awareness of regional leaders of the importance of the existence of volunteers at the community level who have been trained and coached by PMI, thereby encouraging the allocation of funding from regions for the continued implementation of health education in their regions.