The National Avian Influenza Epidemiology Workshop has been held on Aryaduta Jakarta Hotel on Monday until Friday, February 4 to 8, 2008. This event was collaboration between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Colorado State University (CSU), Association for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine (AVEPM), Directorate of Animal Health – Directorate General of Livestock – Ministry of Agriculture from the Republic of Indonesia, and Center for Indonesian Veterinary Analytical Studies (CIVAS).

The national workshop was a continuation of the 6 (six) workshop series previously held. Objective of the national workshop were: (1) To support the improvement of epidemiological skills that will be used to develop a national Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) plan and implementation strategies; (2) To form a communication network among the trained professionals involved in the epidemiology training workshop series as means to share information and experience from each areas so they could altogether prevent and overcome avian influenza in Indonesia by practicing and implementing plans both at national level and provincial or district/municipal level; (3) To develop a plan to overcome avian influenza in Indonesia (national HPAI action plan) through the application of epidemiology principles. The national HPAI plan will be recommended to the government and all stakeholders involved in the prevention and mitigation of avian influenza in Indonesia. The action plan will define WHAT needs to be done, WHEN, and by WHO to achieve the goals of HPAI prevention, investigation, and control. The action plan will also include the resources needed, such as skilled officers, materials, special equipment, and useful information system.

Total participants of the national workshop was 50 (fifty) people, comprising of 25 (twenty five) veterinarians who were participants selected from previous training workshops, 20 (twenty) people who were the senior officers for each selected participant and 5 (five) representatives from the central or national level and the local livestock services office where the national workshop was held. Representatives from the national level and local livestock services office comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Marine Services Office of DKI Jakarta Province, and the National Committee on Bird Flu Control and Influenza Pandemic Preparedness (KOMNAS FBPI).

The national workshop was held for 5 (five) days and was divided into 2 (two) parts. The first 2 (two) days (first part) comprised of the opening ceremony and presentation of activity results or processes by a number of selected participants as result of field application of epidemiology principles. The next 3 (three) days (second part) held discussion, both group and plenary, to develop a national plan for avian influenza prevention and mitigation in Indonesia. This phase was carried out in the form of group discussions (3 (three) break-out groups) and simulations made to accomplished tasks designed and arranged by facilitators concerning the development of missions, plans, and steps to form a national HPAI plan. In the assignments, participants were required to identify facilities and infrastructures needed to implement the plans developed and also identify stakeholders and their various roles.

The final discussion result, which has been agreed upon by all participants and intensively tailored by a formation team assisted by the facilitator team, will be recommended to the government (national HPAI action plan). The recommendation produced from this workshop is presented in Annex 12. In the last session before closing, result of this workshop was presented by the formation team to all workshop participants. The presentation was also attended by drh. Musny Suatmodjo, MM, who is the Director of Animal Health of the Directorate General of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Indonesia. Recommendation produced from the National Avian Influenza Epidemiology Workshop will be presented again by the formation team at the Ministry of Agriculture, which is the technical ministry responsible for avian influenza prevention and control efforts in Indonesia. National decision makers expected to also hear and receive the recommendation from this workshop are the Director of Animal Health, Coordinator of the Avian Influenza Prevention and Control Unit (UPP AI), and Director of Veterinary Public Health.

The follow up of the national workshop is implementation of programs by all participants in their own respective work areas to prevent and control avian influenza in Indonesia. This is done by applying the epidemiology principles received during training and working according to the recommendations agreed within the national workshop.

Another follow up is by forming a communication network among all participants from the 6 (six) Avian Influenza Epidemiology Training Workshop previously held. The communication network has been formed and facilitated by CIVAS by inviting all trained professionals involved in the epidemiology training workshop to join in a discussion forum called EPIForVET (Epidemiology Training Workshop Forum for Veterinarians). CIVAS as facilitator would provide the communication facilities through the establishment of a mailing list and website. Hopefully both facilities could facilitate exchange of information and experience among various areas so avian influenza in Indonesia could be prevented and mitigated together.

The communication network of the Avian Influenza Epidemiology Training Workshop series alumni in Indonesia also encourages all members to join the Indonesian Veterinary Epidemiology Association (Asosiasi Epidemiologi Veteriner Indonesia / AEVI). This association is a non-territorial organization under the Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association and is chaired by Prof. drh. Setyawan Budiharta, MPH, PhD. AEVI was found on February 12, 2008, at the Maros Disease Investigation Center in South Sulawesi Province. *** (wind)