Stories from the field – Indonesia

INDONESIA | Strengthening COVID-19 response with the latest science

3 May 2021

The rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic called for the latest science and technical knowledge on COVID-19 to be disseminated quickly to Indonesia's health workforce. Amidst various information sources, health workers seek a credible source of knowledge to guide them in responding to COVID-19. OpenWHO provides trusted and structured courses based on the latest science to fill in the knowledge gap in the COVID-19 response.

WHO Indonesia technical team selects the courses to be disseminated based on identified needs on the ground. All course materials are translated into the Indonesian language and context, with a rigorous editing process to ensure technical accuracy. On 7 March 2020, in a matter of days since the first COVID-19 case was reported in the country, WHO in Indonesia launched the first OpenWHO courses in the Indonesian language on ePROTECT and Infection Prevention and Control.

To broaden the reach of OpenWHO, courses are promoted widely through social media, email and group chats across our networks and partners. Each course's information and registration link are also announced on the Ministry of Health's (MoH) emerging diseases website and the Indonesian Hospital Association's (PERSI) website.

MoH Head of Basic Immunization Unit, Dr Dyan Sawitri, said that OpenWHO courses have equipped her team with the technical knowledge and operational know-how needed to strengthen Indonesia's COVID-19 response. The COVID 19 vaccination training for health workers course, in particular, has provided comprehensive information that covers vaccine types, logistical procedures, cold chain preparation and implementation steps. More than 1300 participants have enrolled in this training since it was launched on 24 February 2021.

"The OpenWHO course on COVID-19 vaccination training for health workers course has provided technical knowledge on all aspects of COVID-19 vaccination for my team and health workers in general. We often get questions from the subnational level on different aspects of COVID-19, and we always refer to WHO recommendations and content from the OpenWHO course as one of our key references. A well-trained and confident health workforce is a crucial pillar to ensure safe vaccination across Indonesia, and OpenWHO is strengthening our health workforce with the latest science," said Dr Dyan. "Communication aspects of COVID-19 vaccination are important to fight misinformation, and it is also a topic that is rarely discussed in technical health meetings, so it is good to see that this topic is covered as part of the OpenWHO course," she said.

The MoH continues to adopt various WHO technical guidance in the national technical guidance on COVID-19 response. Content from the OpenWHO courses is also adopted in MoH training modules. As of 12 April 2021, more than 27 000 participants have enrolled in the 8 OpenWHO courses available in Indonesian.

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Esta página foi alterada pela última vez em ter, 13 jul 2021 17:33:35 +0000.