The boundary between human health and the natural world is thinner than most people realize. With over 60% of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) originating in animals—most of them from wildlife—the risk of the next pandemic is a constant global threat. From SARS and MERS to avian influenza and the Nipah virus, zoonotic diseases don’t just impact health; they disrupt entire economic sectors. To fight this, Indonesia is leading the charge by implementing a “One Health” approach, a strategy that recognizes that the health of people is inextricably linked to the health of animals and the environment.
What is the One Health Approach?
One Health isn’t just a policy; it’s a holistic framework. It acknowledges that human health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Activities with high environmental impacts, such as wildlife trade, intensive farming, and deforestation, disrupt ecosystems and drive diseases to “spill over” from animals to humans. This is evident in the spread of rabies, dengue, and avian influenza.
The global effort is led by the One Health Quadripartite, which consists of four key organizations:
- The World Health Organization (WHO)
- The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
- The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH)
- The UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
These organizations developed the One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA) to improve coordination, communication, and capacity building across different sectors to fortify global health security.
Indonesia’s Strategic Response to Zoonotic Risks
Indonesia has taken decisive steps to adapt the global OH JPA to its own local needs. Between May and August 2023, the Indonesian government collaborated with the WHO and FAO to create an Indonesia-specific plan. This process involved a massive multisectoral effort, bringing together stakeholders from the ministries of agriculture, health, environment, home affairs, and development planning, as well as the Coordinating Ministry of Human Development and Cultural Affairs.
To ensure this isn’t just a plan on paper, the Indonesian government established the One Health Coordinating Unit and the National Zoonosis Committee. The current strategy focuses on three primary goals:
- Strengthening health systems through One Health integration.
- Reducing the risks of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic epidemics and pandemics.
- Controlling and eliminating vector-borne diseases, neglected tropical diseases, and endemic zoonotic infections.
On the Frontlines: Avian Influenza Surveillance
The practical application of One Health is currently unfolding in the field. From May to August 2025, Indonesia launched a One Health surveillance pilot across five provinces to improve the early detection of avian influenza.
A critical example of this is the work in Surakarta, Central Java. Because birds move daily across regional boundaries, traditional poultry markets—like the Semanggi Poultry Market—are viewed as essential early warning sites. These hubs often feature poor sanitation and close human-poultry contact, which increases the risk of transmission.
Led by the Ministry of Health and supported by the WHO and other partners, the initiative involves collecting samples from three distinct sources:
- People: Such as blood samples from poultry vendors.
- Poultry: Direct animal testing.
- Environment: Sampling the surrounding areas of the markets.
By integrating these data streams, Indonesia is building a system capable of rapid response before a local outbreak becomes a national crisis.
The Growing Threat of Climate Change
The urgency of the One Health approach is amplified by a changing climate. Shifting weather patterns are already altering disease dynamics. For instance, Pacific island countries have recently reported their highest number of dengue cases in a decade, a trend attributed directly to climate-driven environmental changes.
The statistics are sobering: in the last 30 years, 75% of new or emerging human diseases have come from animals, resulting in more than 2.7 million deaths every year. This underscores why multisectoral action is no longer optional—it’s a necessity for survival.
Key Takeaways: One Health in Indonesia
| Focus Area | Key Action/Detail |
|---|---|
| Global Governance | Managed by the Quadripartite (WHO, FAO, WOAH, UNEP). |
| National Infrastructure | Creation of the One Health Coordinating Unit and National Zoonosis Committee. |
| Priority Disease | Avian Influenza (highlighted by 2025 surveillance pilots). |
| Critical Sites | Traditional poultry markets for early warning detection. |
| Environmental Drivers | Deforestation, intensive farming, and climate change. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are poultry markets targeted for surveillance?
Markets like Semanggi in Surakarta are high-risk zones due to the high volume of live bird trade, poor sanitation, and the close proximity between humans and animals, making them ideal “sentinel” sites for spotting avian influenza early.
What is a zoonotic disease?
A zoonotic disease is an infectious disease that has jumped from a non-human animal to humans. Examples include SARS, MERS, and various strains of avian influenza.
How does climate change affect these diseases?
Climate change alters ecosystems and weather patterns, which can expand the habitats of disease-carrying vectors or force wildlife into closer contact with human populations, increasing the likelihood of spillover events.