Name of organization: MICRODIS Project funded under the European Commission s 6 th Framework Programme. 1. Action/practice/project undertaken

Transcription

1 Name of organization: MICRODIS Project funded under the European Commission s 6 th Framework Programme. 1. Action/practice/project undertaken - where the action took place/is taking place Training, education and awareness activities have taken place and are currently taking place in the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Vietnam and China. This report will focus on Indonesia. Training workshops for survey administration and anthropometric measurements (height, weight, MUAC) were given to enumerators. Most of the interviewers were graduate students or staff from academic institutions. Bojonegoro, Indonesia (University of Indonesia) Disaster epidemiology course for undergraduate and graduate students Coordination meetings with different disaster centres for integrating the Disaster Management Centre at the UoI level Short trainings for students on how to conduct disaster health impacts assessments Meetings with village leader and local authorities, community leaders to share information on community empowerment in disaster preparedness, management, and lessons learned from disaster experiences. Scientific seminars and guest lectures about disaster epidemiology and other integrated impacts from various experts of differing backgrounds Dissemination of information to community, hospitals, governments and community leaders pamphelets and brochures on reducing health risks Training on sidaster management and health impacts assessments Participation in National Workshop to prepare and develop curriculum for magister and doctoral study program on disaster management, inviting several most prominent state/national universities Educational activities were also available at all academic institutions in MICRODIS. Notably, this included master and doctorate programmes in disaster management, disaster epidemiology and other similar disciplines. A list of disaster related courses was produced and added to the website, along with continuous meetings between the MICRODIS academic institutions on how to integrate disaster related courses into current program curriculums. - target group(s) The target groups are different depending on the activity. Most of the awareness activities are targeted towards affected or potentially affected communities that have experienced natural disasters in their place of residence. This includes activities focused for child to elderly populations, organized self help or mother s groups and existing community action groups. Local governments, organizations and community leaders are also a main focal point. Information sessions were held for local authorities and policy makers in order to share results, provide training opportunities on disaster management, and discuss community needs for disaster preparedness and response. Another important target group is university students and children. Programs, courses and disaster curriculum have been developed in many of our consortium institutions, and many activities in schools have been undertaken to educate school children as well. - to what needs the action is responding to Training and capacity building that is facilitated in the MICRODIS project is aimed at the

2 need for disaster preparedness, mitigation and prevention at all levels of society. This ranges from the very grassroots needs of sharing information and training local leaders or children about what to do to prepare for or respond to a disaster threat in their community, to sharing research results and recommendations for action with governments and other decision makers in order to help establish effective and sustainable prevention, response and mitigation strategies in their departments and institutions. There is also a focus on education in academic institutions to respond to the need for training of future leaders on past and current disaster experiences, policies, needs, assessment methods, and integrated impacts for the local, regional and international context. - contact details for further information Laura Irvine, MICRODIS Technical Officer Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Health and Society School of Public Health Clos Chapelle aux Champs, 1200 Brussels, Belgium Tel: Fax: laura.irvine@uclouvain.be url: eu.be 2. (Interim) Results achieved Several courses and lectures on the scope of disaster epidemiology and disaster management in Bachelor and Magister/Master Study Program are continuing and improving. More faculty members involve in running the courses. The Faculty of Public Health has agreed and supported to open the Master/Magister Study Program majoring in Disaster Epidemiology and/or Disaster Management by next year, at the latest. After participating in National Workshop to prepare and develop curriculum for magister and doctoral study program on disaster management, several prominent state/national universities (University of Indonesia, University Gajah Mada, University of Hasanuddin, University of Airlangga, University of Brawijaya, University of North Sumatra, University Syiah Kuala, etc.) had stated their commitment to continue developing the curriculum for magister and doctoral study program through close collaboration and serial meetings in the near future. This university networks is supported by WHO Indonesia and Ministry of Health. The development and foundation of DMC (Disaster Management Center), a coordinating body of several disaster centers at university level is a bit slow, due to bureaucracy and lack of coordination Demand of scientific seminar, workshops and training on Disaster Management (including 2 scientific seminars conducted within Microdis project) and Health Impact Assessment is increasing, especially among students, as reflected by increasing numbers of lecturers, seminars, workshops and trainings related to disaster risk, impact and management, inside university of Indonesia, as well as in other universities. Meeting with authorities and communities in several occasions is continuing. The last meeting attended was National Coordination Meeting (organized by Health Crisis Center, Minitry of Health), inviting many sectors and institution (including academic institution) in national level with the agenda for improving disaster management program and coordination Meeting with village leaders and communities had been conducted to share and disseminate important information needed to know (to increase awareness) by the community in grass roots in Microdis study areas in Bojonegoro. The similar

3 3. Challenges activities were also done after the occurrence of great earthquake in West Sumatra, during the Microdis cohort study in Padang city. Very enthusiastic responses were received from communities, their leaders and local authorities reflecting high demand in the population for assistance, not only in the aspect of emergency relief and basic life needs but also in the aspect of health promotion, training and counseling. Bureaucracy and lack of coordination across faculties at the university level are the main factors responsible for the slow processes of the development of curriculum for Master or Doctoral program in disaster management and of the foundation of Disaster Management Center Funding/budget limitation is the common problem for implementing direct promotional activities and producing promotional materials in affected community, as well as for conducting disaster research, in general. University often fails to collect sufficient funds for both emergency missions and promotional/educational activities in the affected communities. Although there is growing interest of faculty members in the university to participate in disaster seminar, workshop, training and other increasing awareness related activities, the enthusiasm is not as much and strong as from the students. This may create gap, in the sense that student scientific curiosity to learn and humanistic empathy to act are not adequately answered or responded by many faculty members. Networks and collaboration among academic institutions (like university, faculty and research center) and with other relevant sectors (like Ministry of Health, National Agency of Disaster Management and other relevant ministries) are still weak and limited. 4. Lessons learned Common people in the community, village leaders, local authorities and especially students in the universities are quite receptive and responsive with education, training and promotional program to increase awareness related to disaster risk, impact and management. Educational, training and promotional activities targeted to these populations could be quite effective. Bureaucracy and lack of coordination are common obstacles for disaster management related agenda and activities, found in the academic institution like university and faculty. However, by increasing awareness and enthusiasm among faculty members, especially among students, these problems could gradually be solved. Problem of funding/budget limitation for education, training and promotional program in the academic institutions could be solved through widening and strengthening the networks and collaboration in education and research with other academic institutions, national and international level. It is also good to develop healthy collaboration with enterprises/corporations/companies which would be willing to fulfill their corporate responsibility for community service. The good news with this respect is that UI had just developed venture and business incubator units. To advance knowledge and science of disaster risk, impact and management and to increase the quality of research, education and training, effective strategies and serious commitment to broaden and reinforce national and international networks and collaborations among academic institutions (like Microdis

4 consortium project), are really needed 5 Emerging needs for further action Prominent state universities and the relevant institution/ authorities need to develop more extensive networks and to intensify collaboration in national level to develop national curriculum and course of disaster related management, especially for establishing Master and Doctoral Study Program on Disaster Management Universities and faculties need to develop strategy to boost up the interest of faculty members in the area of disaster management, especially in education and promotion aspects Universities and faculties need to develop strategy to give wide opportunity for students to increase their knowledge and skills, as well as being actively involved in disaster related management. Universities need to enlarge and strengthen networks with funding/donor institutions including enterprises/corporations/companies (who would be willing to fulfill their corporate responsibility), in order to be able to conduct community services, especially for education and increasing of awareness. Universities and research centers need to continue and strengthen research collaboration and networks with other academic and research centers, in national and international level (like Microdis project), in order to advance knowledge and science in disaster related disciplines which may in turn very much influence and promote the relevant education and training activities.

5 Members of the University of Indonesia MICRODIS team train enumerators how to collect anthropometric measurements. Source: University of Indonesia MICRODIS Team.

6 A training session takes place in Depok, Indonesia in preparation for the flood impact assessment study in Bojonegoro. Source: University of Indonesia MICRODIS Team.