Postgraduate Professional Development in Public Health for the Intensified Communicable Diseases Control (ICDC) Project, Indonesia Ministry of Health

Abstract

Implementation of policy initiatives in the field of public and environmental health, arising from the Agenda 21 Indonesia and Healthy Indonesia 2010 requires the development of additional professional capability in the Republic of Indonesia. Towards meeting this requirement, sixty-five senior officers from the Indonesian Ministry of Health (MOH) graduated from the Master of Science in Public Health (MScPH) program at Griffith University from December 2002. The integrated teaching and research program is being delivered by the School of Public Health in collaboration with the Griffith University International Centre (GUIC) and the University of Indonesia. The MScPH program is funded by the Asian Development Bank and contributes to the achievement of the objectives of the Intensified Communicable Diseases Control (ICDC) Project. This project is an initiative of the Indonesian MOH and provides funding for the control of four priority diseases: measles, malaria, tuberculosis and acute respiratory infections. The applied research undertaken by the first cohort of students was in the areas of environmental health, epidemiology and health promotion as they pertained to the four priority diseases. Many of the students are public health specialists, environmental health/health promotion officers, epidemiologists, academics and health mangers from the districts offices of the Ministry of Health across Indonesia.The program places equal focus on public health and health promotion, with particular emphasis on: environmental health and population health; health behaviour; health promotion theory and practice; and health policy and planning. Special attention is being given to health strategy development that involves organisational collaborative partnerships and participation with communities. Thesis output from the MScPH program has provided research products, which can be applied at the district level for important communicable disease control programs in Indonesia. Examples of the research will be highlighted.