"The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture's Regulation Number 7 of 2022 concerning guidelines for the prevention and control of zoonoses and new infectious diseases is a joint guideline for all stakeholders," Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy informed at the regulation's launch in Jakarta on Wednesday.
With these guidelines, he said he hopes that all parties can collaborate to reduce the risk of an outbreak or a pandemic, such as COVID-19, which will impact not only the health sector but also the social and economic sectors of society.
"This guideline was made not only for the government, but can be used as reference for academics, non-profit organizations, the private sector, and the public to take an active role and collaborate to prevent and control zoonoses and new infectious diseases in the future," he said.
He explained that the ministerial regulation is a form of preparedness, detection, and strategic response for dealing with the possibility of a future pandemic.
"The regulation has been issued because the threat of zoonoses and new infectious diseases in Indonesia is predicted to continue and has the potential to impact the social, economic, security, and people's welfare aspects," the minister disclosed.
Furthermore, cross-sectoral policies must be accompanied by the strengthening of communication, coordination, and capacity building at all relevant ministries and institutions as well as all local governments, he said.
"This is in line with Presidential Instruction Number 4 of 2019 concerning capacity building in preventing, detecting, and responding to disease outbreaks, global pandemics, and nuclear, biological, and chemical emergencies," Effendy added.
He also asked the related ministries, institutions, and local governments to raise awareness about the regulation among their staff, provide resources, and implement the regulation and guidelines consistently.
"Relevant stakeholders must continue to increase their support and collaboration to improve Indonesia's capacity in handling threats of zoonoses and new infectious diseases," he said.
The minister also lauded the United States government, the Australian government, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) for contributing to the development of public health security through support for the prevention and control of zoonoses and new infectious diseases in Indonesia.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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