Approximately 70% of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) in Indonesia originate from zoonoses, leading to escalating public health concerns. The constant presence of threats such as rabies, leptospirosis, anthrax, and other potential EIDs, underscore the necessity for efficient collaboration across human, animal, and related sectors for effective prevention and control.
To tackle this challenge, a tripartite Joint Risk assessment (JRA) Tool was co-developed by WHO, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).
This tool is designed to unify and standardize the risk assessment process. For the Indonesian context, WHO and FAO supported MoH, MoA and MoEF, in conducting JRA workshops at the provincial level. From 2021 to 2023, these workshops successfully trained 761 officers from human health, animal health, and wildlife sectors across 17 provinces.
The workshops have culminated in practical risk assessment exercises, focusing on zoonotic diseases such as anthrax, rabies, avian influenza, leptospirosis, and the Nipah virus.
During these workshops, technical experts helped participants follow the JRA process from start to finish. They work on establishing a steering committee and technical team, creating risk questions, collecting and compiling data from multiple sectors for JRA reference, and conducting hazard, vulnerability and capacity assessments based on the available data. The discussions also entailed risk level assessments to inform mitigation recommendations and the development of risk communication messages.
“Rabies is a challenge in Sikka district East Nusa Tenggara. This JRA is a systematic tool that has helped us identify the hazard, vulnerability factors and capacity gaps that contribute to the risk, and thereby determine the most effective intervention and mitigation measures for rabies control in Sikka district. The JRA recommendations include improving the rabies centre, involving community leaders in risk communication and integrated rabid animal bite case management in Sikka” stated Maria Valentina Tory, a District Health Officer responsible for zoonoses prevention and control in Sika district, East Nusa Tenggara.
Maria Goreti Barelinda , a zoonoses prevention and control officer in East Flores, added, “The JRA encourages officers from human, animal, and wildlife sectors to discuss and understand the challenges and collaboration opportunities for combined efforts on zoonoses prevention and control. The results and recommendations from a JRA can significantly contribute to joint planning for zoonoses prevention and control at the human-animal interface.”
The implementation of JRA is crucial for the Indonesian public as it promotes the sharing of information and data across human, animal and wildlife sectors, strengthening collective efforts against zoonoses.
The result and recommendations from JRA have been instrumental in securing resources for risk mitigation efforts.
The activity was funded with the generous support of DFAT and USAID.
Written by Dr Endang Widuri Wulandari, National Professional Officer for Epidemiology.
