Learning Initial Risk Assessment (IRA) of Health Crisis Events at Surveillance tools workshop

Bogor, 25-27 September 2024. The JICA EWARS Project (Project for Strengthening Capacity for Early Warning and Response to Infectious Diseases) conducted a workshop on risk assessment in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH), the World Health Organization (WHO) Indonesia, and other institutions.

The workshop primarily targeted national-level officials working at the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) and in disease-specific programs within the MOH. It offered the participants lectures and exercises related to risk assessment and the Hazard Calendar. Prior to the workshop, the MOH, WHO, and EWARS Project developed an interim guidance document for the systematic implementation of risk assessment through extensive meetings over seven months, referring to relevant international guidelines and scientific articles. In the development process, we endeavored to align the content with the Indonesian context by considering the existing surveillance system, operational and decision-making flows, and the available human resources and technical capacity. Furthermore, at the request of collaborators, the EWARS Project took the lead in developing a factsheet table that summarizes essential information on 36 prioritized diseases that pose potential threats of major outbreaks.

During the workshop, an expert from the EWARS Project delivered a lecture on conducting risk assessments using the factsheet table. The lecture also included a scenario-based exercise to provide practical insights for users, aiming to bridge the gap between theory and actual practice. The lecture was well received, and fortunately, after the workshop, we received a request from the MOH to create a video of the session.

The activity related to risk assessment is one of the project's pillar activities. After completing the national-level guidelines and guidance video, we plan to develop sub-national-level guidelines and conduct workshops in the project's targeted provinces as the next step.