Medan, 12 November 2024 - The Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), in collaboration with Monash University Indonesia and SingHealth DukeNUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI) Singapore, is honored to organize a research dissemination workshop entitled Health System Enhancement for Pandemic Preparedness. The event aimed to discuss strategies and recommendations for strengthening health systems in the face of future pandemic threats. This research results from close collaboration between three leading institutions: USU, Monash University Indonesia, and SingHealth DukeNUS Global Health Institute, which are committed to developing innovative solutions in the health sector. This international collaboration is expected to strengthen each country's research capacity and policy implementation, primarily focusing on improving preparedness for global pandemic threats.
dr. Inke Nadia Diniyanti Lubis, PGDipPID M. Ked (Ped), Sp. A, Ph. D led the research, with research members dr. Ivana Alona, MPH, dr. R. Lia Kusumawati M.Biomed., Sp.MK(K), Ph.D, dr. Fauzi Budi Satria MPH, Ph.D, and Indo Mora, S.Si, M.PSi. The Monash University Indonesia team consisted of Henry Surendra, Ph.D and dr. Grace Wangge, PhD, and the SDGHI team comprised Prof. Shenglan Tang, Associate Prof. Taufique Joarder, and Assoc Prof. Vincent Pang.
This research is motivated by the urgent need to strengthen the global health system, which has proven not fully prepared for health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The research team hopes this study's results can significantly contribute to developing evidence-based and data-driven health policies for future pandemic preparedness.
The first workshop was held for 2 days, with the first day held at Monash University Jakarta on November 11, 2024, which was attended by a number of academics, researchers, and health practitioners from various institutions, including those directly involved in this research such as representatives of the COVID-19 Task Force of North Sumatra Province, North Sumatra Provincial Health Office, DKI Jakarta Provincial Health Office, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, and the National Health Crisis Center.
On the second day, November 12, 2024, the workshop continued at the USU Faculty of Medicine, Medan, which health practitioners attended at the provincial level, including representatives from the North Sumatra Province COVID-19 Task Force, North Sumatra Provincial Health Office, North Sumatra Research and Development Planning Agency, Regional Finance and Assets Agency, Medan Health Quarantine Center, Regional Disaster Management Agency, Medan Health Laboratory Center. This workshop aims to disseminate the research results and discuss policy recommendations that can be applied in Indonesia, especially in the North Sumatra region, to improve pandemic preparedness.
In the presentation of the research results delivered by dr. Grace Wangge and dr. Ivana Alona, this study's health system situation analysis showed the importance of strengthening health systems at the national and regional levels to be better prepared for potential pandemics in the future. The researchers explained how this research needs to involve the role of various stakeholders in designing a more resilient and sustainable health system model. In addition, the importance of strengthening the capacity of human resources in the health sector and using information systems and analytics to accelerate the response to disease outbreaks was also mentioned. The researchers also highlighted the importance of cross-country and cross-sector collaboration in building better preparedness and the role of technology and data in supporting more responsive health policies.
The Health System Enhancement for Pandemic Preparedness workshop is a knowledge-sharing event and a platform to strengthen synergies between academics, researchers, and health practitioners in designing health systems that are more prepared and responsive to pandemics. With this research, it is hoped that Indonesia and other countries can be better prepared to face increasingly complex global health challenges.
The USU Faculty of Medicine would like to thank all those who have contributed to the success of this event and hopes that this international collaboration can continue to grow to achieve a better health system in the future.