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Semarang, (26/07/2022) a courtesy call was held between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Central Java Province (Pemprov Jateng). The meeting that was held in the Governor's Office in Semarang and was chaired by Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo and Chief Representative of JICA Indonesia Yasui Takehiro.

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo and Chief Representative of JICA Indonesia Yasui Takehiro at the Governor Office, Semarang City.

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the current status of cooperation in Indonesia, especially those related to Central Java and Pemprov Jateng, and plans for future cooperation. In the beginning, JICA gave a presentation about JICA projects especially related to the Central Java Province, such as the support for maternal and child health, disaster risk reduction, infrastructure, COVID-19 countermeasures, and other sectors.

JICA has been implementing maternal and child healthcare related project, and "Project for Enhancing the Quality of Maternal and Child Health Program and the Implementation of Maternal and Child Health Handbook in the Era of Decentralization" is currently ongoing. Under this project, Pemprov Jateng is one of the four Centers of Excellence provinces in Indonesia for piloting the activities, such as Integrated Child Health Check-up (ICHC) in Surakarta and Little Baby Handbook in Banyumas and Kudus to support mothers and children's health services together with the Directorate of Nutrition and Maternal and Child Health, Ministry of Health of Republic of Indonesia until October 2023. Before the courtesy call with the Governor, JICA members also visited the ICHC implementation in Puskesmas Pucang Sawit, Surakarta to ensure the project's implementation in the field.

JICA explained that Central Java Province is the trailblazer in introducing maternal and child health handbook with cooperation by JICA in Indonesia, and now, the handbook is widely used in all the states in Indonesia. In addition, other JICA projects "Countermeasure for Sediment in Wonogiri Multipurpose Dam Phase 2" and "Human Resource Development in "Autism Education" in Surakarta city" are also actively ongoing in Central Java Province.

As for future cooperation plans, Governor Ganjar explained Pemprov Jateng expects to establish a center for disaster risk reduction with simulation facility Central Java, including human resource development and disaster prevention enhancement. Meanwhile, in health sector, he stated that Pemprov Jateng commits in reducing transmission from communicable disease by utilizing telemedicine system in RSUD Prof. Dr. Margono Soekarjo in Purwokerto. Furthermore, Governor also stated that Pemprov Jateng is committed to reduce poverty by establishing affordable housing unit with seismic control system through land subsidy approach and efficient plus eco-friendly construction mechanism. He hopes that JICA can further discuss with Pemprov Jateng to support not limited to but especially related to these sectors.

JICA believes that the courtesy call forged a longstanding cooperative relationship between the regional government and JICA, and leads to further collaboration toward improving not only health sector but also other various sectors for Central Java Province.