MoA and FAO Train Cross-sectoral Health Officers to Anticipate Disease Outbreaks Using the JOIN Tool with support from USAID
Banjarmasin, 13 July 2024 - The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and through the support from United States Agency for International Development (USAID), successfully conducted a training on coordinated investigation of zoonotic events using the Joint Outbreak Investigation (JOIN) tool in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, for cross-sectoral health officers (animal health, human health, and environment/wildlife health) from 8 to 12 July 2024. This tool, introduced by FAO, aims to enhance efforts in controlling and mitigating the spread of zoonoses and emerging infectious diseases.
In 2021, the One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization (OHZDP) workshop involving the MoA, Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF), and the Coordinating Ministry of Human Development and Cultural Affairs (CMHDCA) and supported by USAID, identified six priority zoonotic diseases to mitigate collaboratively at the national level. To respond to these zoonotic outbreaks effectively, FAO has introduced the JOIN tool, which promotes the One Health approach to address zoonotic disease outbreaks. JOIN is an Excel-based tool that connects epidemiology and laboratory data collected by animal, public, and environmental health sectors.
Nuryani Zainuddin, Director of Animal Health, Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services MoA, expressed MoA's appreciation for the initiative to use the JOIN tool for outbreak investigations in Indonesia, “JOIN connects data from cross-ministerial and institutional outbreak investigation as well as field outbreak investigation. This integration allows the development of recommendations for further disease outbreak intervention, and facilitates advocacy for local and central governments.” She highlighted that this training marked a significant step towards strengthening Indonesia's capacity to mitigate and respond to zoonotic disease outbreaks utilizing a One Health approach.
Rajendra Aryal, FAO Representative in Indonesia and Timor-Leste, emphasised the importance of effective outbreak investigation and response for protecting public health and preventing future outbreaks in Indonesia. “The JOIN tool enables us to coordinate data collection and analysis to optimize integrated zoonotic management. We hope that all trained participants from various sectors will seize this opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills to make a significant contribution in preparing for future outbreaks and safeguarding public health,” said Aryal.
“The United States is committed to supporting the Government of Indonesia’s efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to emerging infectious disease threats,” said Enilda Martin, Health Office Director at USAID Indonesia. “The JOIN training is a great example of Indonesia’s One Health efforts to keep the country safe and secure from infectious diseases.”
“The JOIN tool is suitable for various zoonotic and non-zoonotic disease outbreak scenarios to integrate epidemiology and laboratory data from the animal, public, and environmental health
sectors,” explained Ihab ElMasry, a veterinary epidemiologist from FAO Headquarters. Participants from the national and sub-national levels benefited from applying detailed guidance on the coordinated investigation of different zoonotic events and gaining hands-on experience using the JOIN tool through field exercises.
FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) in the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) also assisted in facilitating the training. Yin Myo Aye, Regional One Health Specialist in FAO ECTAD RAP, highlighted that the joint outbreak investigation will leverage the existing One Health collaboration and implementation in Indonesia, in alignment with the global One Health initiatives of One Health Joint Plan of Action and Tripartite Zoonoses Guide.
Media Contact: Saskia Soedarjo, National Communication Specialist, FAO Indonesia. (+628121191403)