VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

It would take more than six months to monitor the situation and confirm that the COVID-19 pandemic is over in Indonesia, Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono has said.

"It's not time to mention the endemic phase. The current situation is a controlled pandemic. There are several more stages that must be passed," he informed after attending a hearing meeting (RDP) with Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) here on Monday night.

One of the parameters for Indonesia to enter a COVID-19 safe phase is maintaining an effective reproduction number (RT) of less than one for more than six months, he said.

RT reflects the number of additional cases that occurred in the community after various interventions were given to control the pandemic, such as the implementation of community activity restrictions (PPKM), COVID-19 vaccinations, and other measures implemented in Indonesia.

"There are several phases to enter the endemic, one of which is when the RT is less than one for more than six months," Harbuwono said.

Indonesia still needs to pursue the target of 70-percent complete vaccination for the entire population in order to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19 transmission, he added.

Based on the COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard of the Indonesian Health Ministry, the achievement of full-dose or two-dose vaccinations as of Monday afternoon stood at 166.9 million out of the target of more than 208 million.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not been the first to hit the world, the deputy minister noted.

"The Spanish Flu pandemic took two–three years. Some are missing (the virus, ed.) and some are still in the community. However, since the immunity is biologically accumulated and passed from mother to child, the virus subsides," he added.

The transition from the pandemic to the endemic phase, he said, will require the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, to disappear completely.

"It could happen, but this virus can stop spreading because there is an immune system. There are epigenetic adaptations, there are changes in genes that the body adapts so that the genes in the body make the body more immune than previous pandemics," he added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that COVID-19 has not yet become endemic across the world, he stressed.

"But this is considered a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This means that this status is still being monitored and evaluated regularly, both clinically and in joint laboratories around the world," he said.  (Antaranews)

Indonesia's preparations for the opening of the 7th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) on Wednesday have reached 90-percent completion, according to Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy.

Speaking here on Monday, he said that the remaining 10 percent is a matter of waiting for confirmation.

"Every day, we will evaluate the flaws and immediately handle them," he added.

The number of people who registered for the event online almost reached seven thousand, he informed.

However, the United Nations (UN) selected around 4,500 people who will participate in the online event.

"Meanwhile, for those who have not been selected, there is already a location for them, namely the Indonesia Resiliency House," he explained.

Participants can join the event at the location by following the existing discussions at the GPDRR forum and conducting a dialog with enthusiasts and non-governmental organizations.

These institutions have been assisting the Indonesian government in carrying out disaster risk reduction at Indonesia Resiliency House.

Moreover, the UN will be represented at the forum by deputy secretary general, Amina J. Mohammed.

Several government representatives from other nations have already arrived in Indonesia to participate in strategic events of the GPDRR.

The Indonesian government is aiming to show that the nation has broken free of the COVID-19 pandemic at the 2022 GPDRR, the minister informed.

In addition, the health protocols have been relaxed for the event, he explained.

Indonesia will host the 7th GPDRR meeting from May 23 to 28, 2022, in Nusa Dua, Bali.

The theme of the meeting for this year is “From Risk to Resilience: Towards Sustainable Development for All in a COVID-19 Transformed World.”  (Antaranews)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) believes the 5th World Reconstruction Conference (WRC) in Bali will be an opportunity to build a world that recovers faster from crises, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

This statement is based on the fact that many countries have shown their ability to control the pandemic and emerge from the crisis so their success can be an inspiration for other countries to strengthen resilience, UNDP Crisis Bureau Director Asako Okai said while opening the 5th WRC here on Monday.

The conference is taking place from May 23–24, 2022,

"For UNDP, this meeting is an important input for our commitment to building a resilient world," she said.

The next task for WRC participating countries is to unite their experiences and policies into concrete global actions, she added.

She then proposed three ways this can be achieved. First, countries need to muster up existing strengths and tools to resolve socioeconomic problems amid the pandemic.

"Second is to maintain and follow up on the mission of the SDGs (sustainable development goals) by strengthening a shared commitment to realize an environmentally friendly, inclusive, and resilient recovery," she said.

As part of the third strategy, the UNDP is encouraging WRC participants to develop effective crisis recovery methods, which can anticipate crises such as pandemics.

The WRC is a world-class forum that brings policy makers, experts, practitioners, as well as businesses together to share their experiences on disaster recovery efforts.

Generally, the WRC is organized by the European Union, UNDP, and World Bank. However, for this year's WRC, which is a part of a series of pre-GPDRR (Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction) meetings, for the first time, the International Recovery Platform (IRP) is participating as the organizer.

The 5th WRC, which will last two days, will feature a number of panel discussions, including on post-disaster infrastructure recovery and the impact of the pandemic on the socioeconomic sector.

At this year's WRC, a number of technical discussions will also be held about work mechanisms, funding, inter-agency cooperation, and recovery planning in anticipation of disasters.

The series of WRC activities will close on May 24. A number of leaders from the World Bank, UNDP, United Nations Agency for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and representatives from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) will present the results of the meeting.  (Antaranews)

The National Library of Indonesia (Perpusnas) will publish a thematic book to demonstrate its support for Indonesia’s G20 Presidency.

“Indonesia's G20 Presidency is an important event that must be supported by the entire element of our society," Perpusnas official Sri Marganingsih said at an online talk show themed “Perpusnas and Writers for G20” on Monday.

The G20 is an international forum comprising 19 countries that work together to handle major issues. Indonesia is holding the presidency of the grouping this year.

The Perpusnas will publish an anthology concerning the G20. The anthology will feature 150 writers from various professions and hailing from Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua.

The ideas within the book are the result of a collaboration between Perpusnas, the Indonesia Productive House, and the writers.

The book will be published in order to promote the G20 event so that it can get the people's attention and support. It will also serve as an input for the event, Marganingsih explained.

The book's editor, Yanuardi Syukur, said that it will feature a variety of themes such as the environment, religion, international relations, education, local wisdom, and creative economy.

"This book really enriches our knowledge. Not only is it enriching for readers, it also provides perspective for elites who will make the decisions concerning the G20," he remarked.

Moreover, the anthology, which is currently undergoing the editing process, is the realization of Pancasila ideology's third principle: the unity of Indonesia, he added.

Syukur urged people, specifically writers, to spread positive and creative content to support Indonesia, which has been entrusted with the presidency of the multilateral partnership between the 20 nations this year.

One of the writers, Herman Oesman, will discuss the environmental issues in his home, North Maluku, in the book.

Through his writing, he will highlight that the province is one of the regions with the highest economic growth in Indonesia, recording a growth of 16.4 percent in 2021 and 7.10 percent in the first quarter of 2022.

The majority of this economic growth has been contributed by the processing, mining, and digging industries. However, the people in the mining region are suffering from poverty and stunting.

Oesman said he hopes that through his writing, the elites will become aware that there are regions that exist far from the center of power. This must become the main consideration material.  (Antaranews)