Indonesia should establish a strong public health system (to prepare) for a possible epidemic in future, as currently, we have no existing disease control system in place
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia (UI) Dr Pandu Riono has urged the government to establish a public health and disease control agency to prepare the country against any epidemic in future.

"We should establish an agency specialised in disease control that is directly accountable to the president, and it should be part of the government," Riono stated here, Monday.

The national disease control agency should be formed through legislation and government regulation to delineate the agency’s functions and financial responsibility, he affirmed.

"Indonesia should establish a strong public health system (to prepare) for a possible epidemic in future, as currently, we have no existing disease control system in place," he noted.

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Riono informed that the current COVID-19 Handling and National Economy Recovery Committee (KPC-PEN) was merely an ad-hoc institution, with the sole function of stemming the transmission of COVID-19 and mitigating its economic impacts.

"If the disease control agency is formed merely as an ad-hoc committee, then it will disband once the pandemic is over, and the pandemic control experience and knowledge would be wasted," he noted.

Riono pointed out that several countries had established a public health and disease control agency, such as the United States, with its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and China that had established the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC).


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"Those countries with an established disease control agency are more prepared to respond to the pandemic, as they already have a disease control system in place," Riono stated.

Riono also urged the government to encourage relevant ministries and institutions to enhance and integrate their disease control system for any possible epidemic in future.

"We have seen this pandemic changes our lifestyle and healthcare system. Perhaps another pandemic in future is closer than we thought," he stated.


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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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