Indonesia COVID-19 Response
Image: Wahana Visi Indonesia
Indonesia was hard hit by a surge in COVID-19 cases between June and September in 2021, as the rapidly-spreading Delta variant increased transmission, illness and loss of life. By December 2021, the country had recorded well over four million cases of COVID-19 and close to 150,000 deaths, though the real numbers are thought to be much higher.
While vaccination had been increasing steadily in response to the outbreak, in a country with a large, sprawling population, reaching vulnerable groups and communities was an ongoing challenge for health workers.
The pandemic severely disrupted Indonesia’s economy, pushing more people into poverty, and disproportionally affecting marginalised groups. Following a decade of steady GDP growth, the economy contracted 2.1 per cent in 2020. According to the World Bank, about 1.8 million people became unemployed and 2.8 million people fell into poverty between February 2020 and 2021. Indicators relating to livelihoods, food security and gender-based violence all deteriorated since the pandemic began.
The AHP Response
Beginning in November 2021 and running until January 2023, the $5 million AHP response, titled Pulih Bersama (Recover Together), was part of a wider package of pandemic support to Indonesia initiated by Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne.
The AHP response in Indonesia was delivered by World Vision Australia through Wahana Visi Indonesia, in consortium with 13 Indonesian NGO partners, and the Church Agencies Network Disaster Operations (CAN DO) consortium, including ADRA Indonesia, Catholic Relief Services, Church World Services, and Maha Bhoga Marga.
The activation covered 12 provinces and 56 districts from Aceh to Papua, with a strong focus on the eastern islands of Indonesia. Its key goals were supporting the sub-national health response to COVID-19, and building community resilience.
AHP partners worked to strengthen community health capacity and support the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, with a particular focus on areas with low vaccine coverage and the inclusion of women and people with disability.
Community resilience was an area of focus, with psychosocial support and mental health referrals, protection activities, cash transfers and initiatives to increase access to livelihoods for those who were severely impacted by the economic fallout of the pandemic. Partners also worked closely with health and faith-based leaders to ensure vulnerable groups were engaged, with a particular focus on the elderly and people with disabilities.
Response highlights
Faith-based organisations and religious leaders played a significant role in Pulih Bersama. Religious leaders played important roles in promoting literacy and information to deal with the pandemic. However, raising awareness and changing mindsets could be challenging, as not all religious leaders believed in COVID-19. Collaborating with religious communities allowed for suggestions on different ways to react and contribute sensitively to communication around the pandemic.
World Vision and partners reached 28,621 people from 8,022 households with cash assistance to help with cost of living pressures and small business expenses, while a further 4,579 people were supported to access financial services (i.e. banking).
CAN DO and partners supported 28,299 people with transportation and other logistics support to access COVID-19 vaccination, based on needs and vulnerability assessments. Cars, military vehicles and trucks were mobilised to assist people with disability and the elderly to access vaccination points. Additional vaccination events outside community health centres were also supported to bring vaccinations closer to vulnerable communities. 877 volunteers were recruited, trained, and equipped with tools such as facemasks, hand sanitizer, gloves, alcohol swabs, nurse caps, thermo-guns, cool boxes, and t-shirts to support vaccination events and outreach.
A learning event and report collated important lessons from the response, and highlighted other contributions to localisation, coordination and response.