Use of community-based surveillance to enhance emerging infectious disease intelligence generation in Indonesia

PMCID: PMC12178592

PMID: 40537055

DOI: 10.7189/jogh.15.04118

Journal: Journal of global health

Publication Date: 2025-6-20

Authors: Craig AT, Japri AP, Heryanto B

Key Points

• CBS in Indonesia represents a potentially transformative approach to early warning disease surveillance, bridging community engagement with epidemiological monitoring
• No standardized performance metrics currently exist to evaluate CBS effectiveness, highlighting the need for comprehensive evaluation frameworks
• A staged, province-by-province demonstration approach is recommended to test, refine, and gradually scale CBS implementation

Summary

This comprehensive study explores the implementation of Community-Based Surveillance (CBS) in Indonesia as a strategic approach to enhance early warning disease detection across human, animal, and wildlife health sectors. Researchers conducted an extensive mixed-methods investigation involving policy document analysis, site visits, and interviews with 120 key stakeholders from national, provincial, and local levels to understand the current landscape and challenges of CBS implementation.

The research revealed critical gaps in CBS operationalization, including limited awareness of existing legal frameworks, inconsistent implementation across different regions, and the need for robust system infrastructure. While CBS shows promise for strengthening public health security, the study emphasizes that successful nationwide implementation requires careful, staged rollout, substantial investment in training and data systems, and clear alignment of governance mechanisms across multiple ministries and administrative levels.