Malaria Perdhaki Strengthens Advocacy for Integrated ATM Cadres

MALARIA PERDHAKI–JAKARTA. Malaria Perdhaki is promoting the strengthening of the Integrated AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (ATM) Program through the Sustainability Meeting of Kader Perkasa, held in Merauke, Nabire, and Jayapura as part of its program advocacy efforts.

Consultant Staff for Integrated HIV, TB, and Malaria Cadres, Rivaldi, explained that the program plays a crucial role in strengthening community-based health services by enhancing the capacity and engagement of cadres at the community level.

“During the implementation period, Kader Perkasa have contributed to expanding the reach of health services, strengthening community roles, and supporting the delivery of primary health care in assisted areas,” said Rivaldi on Thursday (12/2).

Rivaldi added that the cadres not only serve as extensions of health workers but also play an active role in disseminating health information and education, accelerating case detection, and encouraging community involvement in the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

However, to ensure the program’s sustainability moving forward, financial support is needed. Without well-planned strategies and effective advocacy, there is a risk of the cadres’ roles being discontinued, the loss of best practices that have been established, and the failure to integrate program achievements into the regional health service system.

In response to these challenges, Strategic Meetings on the Sustainability of the Kader Perkasa Program have been and will continue to be conducted as cross-sector strategic forums.

“This meeting aims to serve as an advocacy platform, review program achievements, document lessons learned, and build joint commitment to ensure sustainability and opportunities for replication of the Kader Perkasa Program after the conclusion of support from The COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM),” Rivaldi explained.

The activity has several main objectives, including supporting program transition and sustainability through strengthening commitments, policies, and regional funding support.

In addition, the forum will review existing best practices, identify opportunities to integrate the Kader Perkasa Program into the Primary Health Care Integration (ILP) scheme, and explore potential funding support from regional budgets (APBD), Village Funds, and other local sources.

The meeting is expected to produce several key outcomes, including a summary document of achievements and lessons learned from the Kader Perkasa Program, a shared understanding among stakeholders regarding sustainability strategies, and recommendations for integrating the program into regional health policies and service systems.

Furthermore, it will develop an identification of local funding sources and a jointly agreed Follow-Up Action Plan (RTL) to guide implementation after the end of C19RM support.

Through these strategic steps, the Kader Perkasa Program is expected not to remain merely a project-based initiative, but to become a sustainable part of the regional health system that strengthens community roles in safeguarding public health.