Project News

The 4th Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) Meeting^[1] for the Project was held in a hybrid format (offline and online) on the 31st of January 2023.

Approximately 70 JCC members and observers participated in the JCC meeting from Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Secretary, Provincial Health Offices, District Health Offices, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), JICA Headquarters, JICA Indonesia Office, and MCH handbook Project.

Dr. Maria Endang Sumiwi, MPH, Director General of Public Health, Ministry of Health (MoH) and Mr. Kenji Okamura, the Senior Representative of JICA Indonesia Office, delivered opening remarks. Dr. Maria expressed her gratitude to JICA for its long-standing cooperation in maternal and child health in Indonesia. She stated that the Project's support for the Little Baby Handbook (LBH) and Integrated Child Heath Check-up (ICHC) is essential and needs to be included soon within the package of the primary health care service, which is currently being developed by the Directorate of Public Health Management, MoH.

While Mr. Okamura conveyed a brief review of each project output, he mentioned key points of the activities to consider further sustainability among all the sectors with all the representatives in this JCC meeting.

The Acting Director of Nutrition and Maternal and Child Health, MoH, dr. Ni Made Diah PLD, MKM presented support from MCHHB Project in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and stunting prevention. Then the Project's Expert on Community Health presented the progress and the achievement of each Project's output and activity plan of activities for the year 2023. The Coordinator of under Five and Preschool Child Health, MoH, presented the implementation progress of the MCHHB Project. Then, the JICA Headquarters delivered a summary of the meeting.

The committee confirmed the followings:

• To hold Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP) in Sept 2023 (Output 1),
• To evaluate the pilot implementation of the Little Baby Handbook (LBH) for low-birth-weight infants and premature infants, and develop a national rollout strategy, including policy endorsement (Output 2),
• To evaluate the pilot implementation of Integrated Child Health Check-up (ICHC) to target children of 6-month-olds and develop a national rollout strategy, including policy endorsement (Output 3).

The Project will proceed to work according to the plan agreed by this JCC meeting.

Opening speech by the Director General of Public Health, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, dr. Maria Endang Sumiwi, MPH.

Opening Speech by Senior Representative of JICA Indonesia Office, Mr. Kenji Okamura

Summary by JICA Headquarters, Ms. Maki Ozawa.

Meeting participants