Project news 2 : JCC

Project for Strengthening Capacity for Early Warning and Response to Infection diseases (EWARS Project) began in June 2021. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, the Joint Coordinating Committee could not be held for a long period of time.

In June 2022, JICA dispatched a Consultation Mission Team to revise the PDM in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Health, and prepared a revised version. The original PDM had not yet been decided on the indicators, target provinces, etc., and these were to be determined after the project was launched. Therefore, a JCC was necessary to officially approve the revised version.

We considered whether to hold the JCC in person or online. After coordinating stakeholders' schedules, the JCC was held online on December 7, 2022.

The JCC was led by Dr. dr. Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, DHSM, MARS, Director General of Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Health; and was attended by Dr. Achmad Farchanny Tri Adryanto, MKK, Director General of Surveillance and Health Isolation; and Dr. Triya Novita Dinihari, MARS, Head of Surveillance Working Team. The project was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Triya Novita Dinihari, Headof the Surveillance Working Team. On the Indonesian side, participants came from health offices in the three provinces of East Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, and Banten, which are the target areas of the project. On the Japanese side, from JICA headquarters, Mr. Kubokura Ken, Director of Office for COVID-19 Response, Mr. Komazawa Osuke, Counselor Human Development Department, Mr. Okamura Kenji, Senior Representative JICA Indonesia Office, Mr. Nakao, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan as observer and other related persons, total 30 participants attended.

Dr. Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, and Dr. Okamura, gave opening remarks. Dr. Maxi recognized and appreciated JICA's surveillance projects conducted in Sulawesi in the past, and expressed his expectations for the upcoming project as well. The Indonesian Ministry of Health then reported on the current status of EWARS Project, and JICA reported on the progress made so far in providing equipment, conducting a baseline survey, and revising the PDM by dispatching a survey team. The meeting was short, but the revised PDM was officially approved, and plans for training to Japan and dispatching experts for the next fiscal year were shared.

All the participants were looking forward to the project becoming more active in the coming year.