WAAW in Indonesia: Focus on One Health approach to AMR
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2020-11-23
Social media campaigns, webinars and a workshop for journalists on the One Health approach marked the start of the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week in Indonesia. Due to the spread of COVID-19 no physical gatherings of any kind were organized and all events were done virtually.
A poster announcing the Indonesian Consumers Association’s online public discussion on antimicrobial resistance.
Media briefing with prominent speakers
On 18 November, the Yayasan Orangtua Peduli (YOP), ReAct’s partner organization in Indonesia, organized a media briefing in collaboration with FAO Indonesia, WHO Indonesia, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health.
The briefing, which focused on the role of the One Health concept in helping contain antimicrobial resistance (AMR), was attended by 33 media representatives. Speakers included officials from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Department of Animal Health, FAO, WHO and YOP.
All speakers highlighted the threats of antimicrobial resistance as a silent pandemic, affecting both the human and animal sectors, and made presentations on their efforts and initiatives for tackling antimicrobial resistance. The event was moderated by a Jakarta-based TV journalist with a medical academic background who was quite familiar with the issues involved and could explain the more technical aspects of the problem to the media.
The briefing resulted in 15 published articles.
Public discussion by the Indonesian Consumers Association and World Animal Protection Indonesia
On 17 November the YOP helped moderate an online public discussion organized by the Indonesian Consumers Association (YLKI) and World Animal Protection Indonesia titled “While COVID-19 Cases Remain High, Superbug Threats Are Real”. Speakers included officials from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, YLKI, Center for Indonesian Veterinary Analytical Studies (CIVAS), a representative of World Animal Protection, and the Secretary of Indonesia’s AMR Containment Committee.
Webinar for parents and health workers – 180 participants
Some of the participants at the webinar for parents and health workers.
Earlier, on 15 November YOP had organized a webinar for parents and health workers titled “Bacteria and Antibiotics: When Antibiotics Are No Longer Effective”.
The main speakers were two pediatricians from YOP and the event was attended by more than 180 participants from many parts of Indonesia. The discussion was mainly on the use of antibiotics for human health, antimicrobial resistance, and its impact on public health.
One month long social media campaign
Social media campaign by YOP during WAAW2020.
Since first of November YOP has also been carrying out a social media campaign through its Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts. The campaign, which includes dissemination of a video on the theme ‘”Handle Antimicrobials With Care”, will continue until the end of month.
Challenges in Indonesia
The challenges of antimicrobial resistance that Indonesia faces are similar as those of many other low and middle income countries in the region and beyond. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans and in livestock and aquaculture are the key drivers of resistance in the country.
While there are no formal estimates nationally, antimicrobial resistance is thought to be high and on the rise in the country. Indonesia is among the five countries with the greatest projected percentage increases in antimicrobial consumption by 2030. The five, selected from 50 countries with the largest amounts of antimicrobials used in livestock in 2010, include Myanmar (205%), Indonesia (202%), Nigeria (163%), Peru (160%), and Vietnam (157%).
Responding to the growing antimicrobial resistance threat the Indonesian Ministry of Health set up a Working Committee on AMR Control (KPRA) in 2014. After consulting a wide range of stakeholders KPRA prepared the Strategic Plan of AMR Control in Indonesia 2015 – 2019 to improve public health through antimicrobial resistance control. Currently Indonesia is waiting for the government to sign and approve its new National Action Plan on AMR for the period 2020-2024.
References
Parathon H, Kuntaman K, Widiastoety TH, et al. Progress towards antimicrobial resin stance containment and control in Indonesia. The BMJ. 2017;358:j3808. doi:10.1136/bmj.j3808
Global trends in antimicrobial use in food animals. Van Boeckel et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 May 5;112(18):5649-54. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1503141112. Epub 2015 Mar 19.
