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Govt steps up coordination to control spread of Zika, bird flu

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s recent decision to disband the National Committee on Zoonosis (Komnas Zoonosis), whose functions have now been taken over by the Coordinating Human Development and Culture Ministry, is expected to improve the nation’s ability to control zoonotic diseases such as bird flu and Zika

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Thu, September 29, 2016

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Govt steps up coordination to control spread of Zika, bird flu

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resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s recent decision to disband the National Committee on Zoonosis (Komnas Zoonosis), whose functions have now been taken over by the Coordinating Human Development and Culture Ministry, is expected to improve the nation’s ability to control zoonotic diseases such as bird flu and Zika.

The ministry’s health development deputy, Sigit Priohutomo, said the ministry would start working once the President issued a presidential regulation on the committee’s disbandment.

“We are still waiting for the Perpres,” he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, adding that the committee’s functions would remain intact with the existing panel of experts expected to remain.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) declared Indonesia as one of the hotspots for new emerging diseases in Asia.

In 2003, the country recorded the first case of avian influenza (AI). Among 199 cases of AI found in humans this year, 167 caused human deaths, which made Indonesia the country with the highest rate of deaths from AI.

Indonesia is now bracing for a possible Zika outbreak after a number of neighboring Singaporean and Malaysian citizens tested positive for the disease, which causes microcephaly.

The FAO said the disbandment of Komnas Zoonosis would not disrupt One Health implementation in Indonesia as long as its functions are taken over by the ministry, which is led by Puan Maharani, daughter of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairman Megawati Soekarnoputri.

“FAO looks forward to increased engagement with [the ministry] on the implementation of our One Health-focused Emerging Pandemic Threats and rabies control projects,” FAO ECTAD Indonesia team leader James McGrane said.

The ministry is expected to boost collaboration between parties, including the Agriculture Ministry, the Health Ministry and the Environment and Forestry Ministry, so that the FAO can address the threats of zoonotic diseases, an approach widely known as One Health.

“In the future, if the activities are related to coordination, they will be conducted by the ministry. As for the technical aspect, it will be returned to relevant ministries, such as the Health Ministry, the Agriculture Ministry and the Environment and Forestry Ministry,” Sigit explained.

Indonesia has struggled to implement the One Health policy.

“Although the concept of One Health is good, real implementation [in Indonesia] is still low,” Tri Satya Putri Naipospos, the Chair of the Expert Commission on Animal Health, said.

Veterinarians, whose positions are critical for the delivery of an effective One Health approach, still face many challenges, she said. For instance, the veterinary profession does not receive the same recognition as medical professions. As a result, the government tends to allocate smaller budgets for animals’ vaccinations and biosecurity measures, which are crucial to prevent and control zoonotic diseases.

Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology director Amin Soebandrio emphasized the threat of emerging diseases as real since Indonesia has a large population with a growing middle class.

“More people will move to areas that are actually designed for animals’ habitats, such as forests. With higher incomes, their mobility would increase as well,” he said, adding that these factors could increase the possibility of the transmission of zoonotic diseases.

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