INFOFLU: Indonesia Progress on Pandemic Preparedness

Jakarta, April 18, 2008 – The Indonesian government with the full support from international partners launches its first ever National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NPPRP).

Indonesia formulates the plan to cope with the situation should one day avian influenza mutate into a form that is easily transmitted between humans and spark global flu pandemic.

During the launch, the government also announces a plan to hold a pandemic influenza epicenter containment simulation in Bali. The drill is aimed to test the capacity of the national plan.

“Indonesia takes proactive steps,” said Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Aburizal Bakrie, who is also the chairman of the National Committee for Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Preparedness (KOMNAS FBPI).

Based on the Presidential Decree No.7, 2006, KOMNAS FBPI is tasked to develop the country’s preparedness and response capacity in coping with possible flu pandemic.

After going through series of debates and discussions among Indonesia’s top scientists, government officials, United Nations and international top experts, KOMNAS FBPI finally releases its contingency plan in dealing with flu pandemic. According to the United Nations, at present, only few countries have drafted their pandemic preparedness plan and only half have tested their plans into simulations.

“This (NPPRP) is a living document. It opens for further revisions to adopt the latest development,” said Bayu Krisnamurthi, KOMNAS FBPI's chief executive.

To put the plan into test and review the government's capacity in coping with possible flu pandemic, the government will hold a Flu Epicenter Containment Simulation in Bali on April 25-27, 2008. The three-day drill will take place simultaneously in Jembrana and Tabanan Districts as well as Denpasar Municipality.

“Indonesia will be the first country in the world that tests its pandemic preparedness plan in full scale,” said Bayu.

Jembrana Distrct Will Host Pandemic Influenza Simulation

Although at present, bird flu has yet mutated into a form that is easily transmitted between humans, to anticipate the spread of a possible deadly flu pandemic, the Government of Indonesia will review its capacity in containing the spread of deadly flu, right at its epicenter.

The drill will involve about 1,000 people, dozens of government and private institutions, the police and military, and therefore would be the largest pandemic simulation ever conducted in the world.

The simulation will put into test seven pillars of pandemic preparedness: command and control, surveillance, medical response and public health response, quarantine and people and goods movement control, social distancing, recovery and rehabilitation, and risk communication.

Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said in the simulation, Dangin Tukadaya village would be the epicenter of the pandemic, meaning that it would be the first place where human-to-human flu infection is found. Simulation will also be held in Jembrana Community Health Center(Puskesmas), Negara Hospital, Tabanan Hospital and Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar. The last two are Bali's official bird flu referral hospitals.

Siti added that besides Puskesmas and hospitals, the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar will also hold simulation of quarantining, monitoring and controlling people and goods movement that are coming from the epicenter area.

The minister said the purpose of the drill is to prepare the community and its leaders, non-government organizations, mass media, private sector and government officials to be able to rapidly working together in containing the spread of a deadly flu spread.

The drill will be attended by hundreds of international and domestic observers, representing various United Nations agencies, international organizations, diplomats, professional organizations, senior officials from various ministries, directors of bird flu referral hospitals across Indonesia and officials from several regional health offices.

This simulation is vital to increase our awareness and rapid respond capacity to contain deadly flu spread, said the health minister.

Bird flu is a deadly disease, but there are simple steps that every one can take to reduce the risk of contracting the bird flu virus:

Do not touch sick or dying birds; if you do, immediately wash your hands and report to local authorities.
Wash your hands and utensils with soap and water before you eat or cook. Cook all poultry and eggs well.
Separate your birds and separate all new flocks for two weeks.
Go immediately to a health clinic if you have a fever with flu-like symptoms and have had contact with bird