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Bogor 8 Januari 2011. In celebration of the 5th Anniversary of Center for Indonesian Veterinary Analytical Studies (CIVAS), CIVAS held a National Seminar on “Ecohealth Approaches in the Control of Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases”. The seminar was aimed to introduce and disseminate the concept of ecohealth to various people in the animal health and public health sector, starting from policy makers, plan developers, researchers, academicians, and animal health and public health practitioners.

The theme of the seminar was chosen because at this time and age emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases often occur in complex economy-social-culture-ecology circumstances and are characterized by nodes that repeat in line with changes in space and time. Therefore to be able to face future challenges of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases we need a new theoretical basis, which is the ecohealth approach. This approach is capable of bridging and connecting the multi-aspect outputs of infectious diseases with economic and agricultural policies, social and cultural dynamics, and ecological evolution.

In this seminar, CIVAS invited 3 speakers: Dr. Jeff Gilbert, a MD and veterinarian, with ‘Ecosystem Approaches to the Better Management of Zoonotic Emerging Infectious Disease’ from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI); Prof. Wiku Adisasmito, DVM, M.Sc., Ph.D., who is a professor at the Public Health Faculty of Indonesia University, with ‘Ecohealth Approaches in Public Health’; and Tri Satya Putri Naipospos, DVM, M.Phil., Ph.D., a epidemiologist from CIVAS who is currently working at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with ‘Conservation Medicine and Ecohealth as Trans-disciplinary Approaches in Animal Health’.

The seminar was started with an opening remark from the ad interim Executive Director of CIVAS, MD Winda Widyastuti, DVM. Dr. Winda explained the reasoning behind the seminar’s theme and that it is inline with the organization’s vision to improve animal health for the benefit of human health. The next remark was from the Chairwoman of CIVAS Directive Board, Tri Satya Putri Naipospos, DVM, M.Phil., Ph.D. (also known as Dr. Tata), who laid out how far the organization has reached after 5 (five) years and future challenges CIVAS will face as a non-government organization (NGO) working in the field of animal health in Indonesia. Dr. Tata also talked about the importance of Ecohealth for the control of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease. The seminar was officially opened by the Mayor of Bogor City, who was represented by Head of the Agriculture Service Office of Bogor City, Herlien Krisnaningsih, DVM, MM. The Mayor appreciated the seminar held by CIVAS with hope there will be concepts and recommendations regarding ecohealth approaches for the control of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases in Bogor city or those that are a threat to the city, such as Avian Influenza, Anthrax, and Rabies. The seminar was moderated by Prof. Bambang Pontjo Priosoeryanto, DVM, M.Sc., Ph.D., AP.Vet., who is also Chairman of the Indonesian Veterinary Pathology Association (AVI) and Head of the Clinic, Reproduction, and Pathology Department of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bogor Agricultural University.

The first speaker, Dr. Jeff Gilbert, talked about the historical development of this concept and main pillars for the application of ecohealth. Dr. Gilbert also explained the importance of the veterinary profession, which in general is still marginalized, for achieving public health, particularly in relations with the control of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases. Prof. Wiku Adisasmito, DVM, M.Sc., Ph.D., talked about the complexity of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases and the challenges it presents. Prof. Wiku also explained about global risk factors for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease control, such as human population, world nutrition/food deficiency, and human movement. Ecohealth is an important part of the pillar that support Public Health, therefore all disciplines must to leave behind their professional ego for public benefit as a foundation for ecohealth in controlling Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases.

Tri Satya Putri Naipospos, DVM, M.Phil., Ph.D. (Dr. Tata), in her presentation talked about the occurrence of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease, where wildlife-borne zoonoses reached the highest proportion in the last decade. About 61.4% of emerging infectious diseases in human originated from animals (zoonoses), with 75.3% of it coming from wild animals. Emerging infectious diseases affecting human, wildlife, and plants are connected by two common characteristics. First, the diseases are in a process of flux, either rising in incidence, expanding in host or geographic range, or changing in pathogenicity, virulence, or some other factor. Second, the changes are almost always triggered by some large scale anthropogenic environmental change (for example deforestation, agricultural encroachment, urban expansion) or changes in the human population structure (for example increased population density due to urbanization) or behavior change (for examples increased drug use, changes in medical practices, agricultural intensification, international trade). Anthropogenic in this case is the conversion of natural space, land, or environment due to human behavior or activities. Dr. Tata also presented a new agenda for the control of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, which are conservation medicine, ecohealth approaches, and one health, which all principally demands inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary collaboration.

The seminar, which was held at Gedung Kusnoto, Jl. Ir. Juanda Bogor, was attended by 112 participants from livestock, animal health, and human health related government offices, academicians, animal and human health practitioners, private sectors, research institutions, and university students. Also attending the seminar was the Director of Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture), Director of Animal-Borne Disease Control (Ministry of Health), Head of the Animal Quarantine and Biological Safety Center (Agriculture Quarantine Agency), Head of the Animal Disease Investigation Center in Wates (Technical Unit of the Directorate General of Livestock Services, Ministry of Agriculture), Head of the Animal Product Quality Testing Center (Technical Unit of the Directorate General of Livestock Services, Ministry of Agriculture), Head of the Livestock and Fishery Service Sub-Office of South Jakarta Municipality, Director of SEAMEO BIOTRP, Head of the Agriculture Service Office of Bogor City who was also representing the Mayor of Bogor, representative from the Indonesian Science Academy (AIPI), and General Chairwoman of the Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA). Many comments and questions were asked during the discussion session, including comments and suggestions from the Director of Animal Health, Director of Animal-Borne Disease Control, AIPI representative, and General Chairwoman of the IVMA. Results of the seminar were concluded in the form of seminar recommendations, which in general agrees the importance of continuous dissemination of the ecohealth approach and implementation. *** (Andr)

Rumusan Seminar
Presentasi 1 – Jeff Gilbert
Presentasi 2 – Wiku Adisasmito
Presentasi 3 – Tata Naipospos