Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Health Affairs Minister Nila Moeloek has launched the Public Health Emergency Operating Center (PHEOC) that would provide a 24-hour response on the emergence of an epidemic or outbreak.

"PHOEC is a unit that would strengthen the Health Ministrys capacity in preventing, detecting, and responding to the emergence of an epidemic in Indonesia," Nila said here on Tuesday.

The unit would function as a center to track the outbreak management system, collect information, determine priority decisions, and coordinate necessary moves and communications.

The establishment of PHOEC is aimed at improving the ministrys capability to detect, prevent, and respond to the emergence of communicable diseases that have the potential to turn into an epidemic.

The unit would also encourage the ministrys capacity in implementing the International Health Regulation 2005 and facilitate transfer of knowledge, information sharing, and development of human resources at national, regional, and global levels.

In addition to the detection of epidemic, the PHOEC would also implement resource planning and identification to support epidemic control at the national level.

PHOEC would also strengthen networks in controlling an epidemic, increase the capacity of quick response team, and support the implementation of public health control in central as well as local administrations.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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