Indonesia and the World Health Organization (WHO) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a multilateral training center and an emergency medical team (EMT) for dealing with future health emergencies.
The MoU, which was signed in Bali on Tuesday on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, outlines the collaboration between Indonesia and the WHO, based on guidelines set by the Defense Ministry and the Health Ministry.
The guidance also aligns with President Joko Widodo’s (Jokowi’s) directive to control COVID-19 and other health security concerns.
The establishment of the training center is aimed at increasing the capacity of Indonesia and other Asian countries in responding to health emergencies quickly.
In its statement, the WHO said that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted several gaps in the national capacity, especially the readiness of personnel in terms of expertise and the ability to reach all regions.
The multilateral training center will provide additional training packages, including simulation exercises for Indonesia and other countries.
The training will cover a wide range of areas, such as managing public health emergencies, medical and logistical management, and the medical, social, and economic impacts of health emergencies.
As part of the goals of the EMT 2030 strategy, each country is required to build its capacity to respond quickly and effectively to national emergencies by leveraging regional and sub-regional capacities to support vulnerable communities.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Health Ministry will play a vital role in bridging the adaptation of EMT standards to local contexts as well as supporting knowledge exchange with other countries to strengthen EMT capacity globally.
The training center in Indonesia will be located at the Republic of Indonesia Defense University or RIDU.
The MoU on its establishment was signed by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The initiative is supported by the WHO Headquarters, the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, and WHO Indonesia.
Source: Antara