MALARIA PERDHAKI, Kupang – The Deputy Mayor of Kupang, Dr. Hermanus Man, officially opened the Capacity Building Training for Staff in Managing the GFATM Malaria Program Strengthening Communities in the East Nusa Tenggara Region, held at the Sotis Hotel on Jalan Timor Raya, Tuesday, February 23, 2021. This training was initiated by PERDHAKI (Indonesian Health Missionary Association) as the Principal Recipient (PR) responsible for managing the grant funds from the Global Fund to support malaria elimination efforts in eastern Indonesia for the next three years. During the opening event, the Malaria Project Manager at PERDHAKI, Dr. Ari Hermawan, revealed that their organization has been managing malaria budgets since 2010 in various locations and has been reappointed by the Global Fund for the period of 2021–2023.

“For the next three years, we have been asked to engage more deeply with the community as the Principal Recipient (PR), using a community-based approach,” he explained. He further clarified that the purpose of this activity is to enhance the capacity of partner sub-recipients (SR) and sub-sub-recipients (SSR) involved in the malaria program, particularly the new SR and SSR staff, in effectively managing program implementation, finances, and administrative logistics. The training, planned to last three days, was conducted under strict health protocols and involved participants from various regions in East Nusa Tenggara, including the Archdiocese of Kupang and the Archdiocese of Ende.

He hopes that this training will produce optimal outputs in the management of the malaria program. “These outputs include the ability of SR and SSR partners to coordinate effectively with relevant agencies, meet specific indicators, and understand the systems and procedures related to program management, finance, monitoring and evaluation (M\&E), logistics, and administration,” he said. He added that, in addition, SR and SSR partners are expected to have strong program and monitoring skills—particularly in advocacy, behavior change communication (BCC), and empowerment programs—and be capable of managing the program in a well-organized, accountable, and transparent manner.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Mayor of Kupang, Dr. Hermanus Man, in his speech, revealed that in several areas of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), malaria cases still remain a leading cause of death in healthcare facilities, even though Kupang City itself has maintained elimination status for the past three years. The Deputy Mayor continued by saying that in some parts of NTT, malaria is very familiar to the community, including the methods of treatment. However, he emphasized the need for monitoring certain types of malaria medications circulating in the community because they can cause drug resistance. Addressing the training participants, the Deputy Mayor conveyed that there are three important things they must possess to apply effectively in the field.

First, there is a need for understanding and knowledge of new management approaches such as community-based methods. The Deputy Mayor gave the example of how the Covid-19 pandemic was handled in Kupang City using a community-based approach at the micro level, starting from neighborhood units (RT/RW). The same approach was also applied in addressing stunting, which required collaboration with various stakeholders. “The same principle applies to malaria control; a pentahelix approach is needed—not only involving the government but also religious leaders, businesspeople, academics, and the media—followed by increased socialization efforts within each working area so that the community develops a proper and thorough understanding of malaria elimination,” the Deputy Mayor explained.

The second point is skills. The Deputy Mayor explained that skills are very important, especially in mobilizing community empowerment. Therefore, he said that not only theory is needed but also good practical experience in handling cases that occur within the community. The third point the Deputy Mayor conveyed concerns mental attitude or mindset management (Frame of Thinking) related to understanding the methods used to eliminate malaria. “Now that technology is advancing, good methods must be accompanied by a proper mindset and attitude,” he stated. The Deputy Mayor hopes that this training will help achieve malaria elimination in various regions of East Nusa Tenggara. It is worth noting that the training featured a resource person from West Papua, Decky Walgiarno, from the PR Team of Perdhaki Central. Meanwhile, the participants included 10 individuals from the SR Archdiocese of Kupang, whose work area covers Alor Regency, Atambua Regency, Southwest Sumba Regency, East Sumba Regency, and Kupang City. Meanwhile, the SR PWKA Ende participants, totaling 14, came from regions covering Central Sumba Regency, West Sumba Regency, West Manggarai Regency, Ende, and Lembata.

This news was previously published by Info Kini. Link: https://infokini.net/arsip/4661