Growing cross-border mobility drives the spread of epidemic-prone diseases, including Nipah, hantavirus disease, Ebola disease and mpox. Risk assessment helps identify health threats, those most at risk and to what extent, and how to best prevent and mitigate such threats. Health workers, especially provincial and district health officers, point of entry officers, and clinicians, are central to this: they are often the first point of healthcare contact for communities and are best placed to detect threats early and alert the health system.
Accordingly, WHO and development partners have been working throughout 2026 to strengthen the capacity of health workers across Indonesia in risk assessment and public-health emergency preparedness. These efforts strengthen prevention, detection and response for emerging infectious diseases, even when no such event has occurred.
Three training-of-trainers courses were held based on the national risk-assessment curriculum and training materials, which had been updated with WHO's support. The courses, each running for seven days, prepared 90 candidate trainers through practical exercises, simulations and group work. WHO facilitated group discussion on emerging infectious diseases, rapid risk assessment and risk mapping.
“Through this training of trainers, participants strengthened their ability to conduct rapid, systematic and evidence-based risk assessments, while also preparing themselves to serve as trainers for health workers at the subnational level and at points of entry. This activity will further strengthen local capacity for mapping public-health emergency risks and assessing risks, enhance preparedness and support early response to potential public-health threats,” said Dr Sumarjaya, Director for Surveillance and Health Quarantine at the Ministry of Health.
Putting guidelines into practice, WHO and the Ministry of Health conducted rapid risk assessments for Nipah, mpox and Ebola disease in 2026 together with experts from different sectors, academics and professional associations by pooling and reviewing data and evidence. Disease characteristics, vulnerable populations and existing preparedness and response capacities were considered to determine the level of risk and prioritize mitigation actions. These included clearly explaining health threats to vulnerable populations, updating guidelines, and addressing the flood of information, including misleading or false information, that can make it difficult for people to know what to trust (also known as an “infodemic”). The Ministry then disseminated the resulting recommendations to support preparedness measures at all levels across the country.
Translating risk assessment into action, agencies also came together to strengthen preparedness for emerging health threats. The Ebola disease preparedness guideline, updated in line with risk-assessment recommendations, is helping improve prevention and response capacities at health facilities, points of entry, laboratories and local health offices. Meanwhile, more than 1000 health workers across Indonesia have joined webinars supported by WHO in 2026 on the latest global developments, guidance and recommendations about Nipah, hantavirus disease, Ebola disease and mpox.
The training of trainers, to be followed with impact monitoring by the Ministry of Health, marked an important milestone for strategic capacity building in risk assessment. It built the trainers’ capacities to share their knowledge and skills with local health teams, who can then better assess risks in their communities and tailor preparedness and response measures to local needs. Meanwhile, the risk assessments fostered shared commitment for actions among different actors, from human, animal and environmental health sectors to various government agencies, professionals and academics. Together, these efforts strengthen Indonesia’s ability to identify potential public health threats early and take evidence-informed action to reduce risks and protect communities.
These activities are supported by the Pandemic Fund and the Australian Government.
Written by Dr Endang Widuri Wulandari, National Professional Officer (International Health Regulations), WHO Indonesia