Indonesia and Australia launch health transformation partnership programme
The Governments of Indonesia and Australia have launched the Indonesia-Australia Partnership for Health Transformation (KITA SEHAT), a long-term collaborative programme between the two countries to support the transformation of human and animal health in Indonesia.
KITA SEHAT aims to support the realisation of “Health for All” as an integral part of efforts to improve the quality of human resources.
To achieve this goal, the programme focuses on four end results: strengthening primary healthcare policy and governance, primary healthcare services, health system support components, and health resilience.
“This programme is a joint investment to build an Indonesian health system that is stronger, more resilient and better prepared to face future challenges. Under the National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN) 2025-2045, health development is positioned as one of the main foundations of Indonesia’s transformation,” said Deputy Minister of National Development Planning (PPN)/Deputy Head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Febrian Alphyanto Ruddyard at the KITA SEHAT launch event, according to an official statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The programme, funded with up to AUD 100 million, will be implemented in two phases over the period 2025-2033, with the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas collaborating with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture as implementing ministries, coordinating with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
KITA SEHAT is also partnering with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as development partners.
The KITA SEHAT programme will be implemented at the central level and in three provinces: West Java, East Nusa Tenggara and Southwest Papua.
Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin also affirmed the government’s role in ensuring that people have access to healthcare.
“The government must keep people healthy. The second focus is treating those who are sick. The main focus must be on primary services, followed by referral services. I would like to thank the Australian Government for helping the Indonesian Government. I would also like to ask for the Australian Government’s support so that immunisation coverage can increase to above 90 per cent,” the Health Minister said.
In line with this commitment, the Australian Government also emphasised its support for the transformation of Indonesia’s health system through the KITA SEHAT partnership.
“KITA SEHAT reflects the strong health partnership that has long existed between Australia and Indonesia, as well as our shared commitment to achieving health for all. Australia is working with Indonesia to strengthen primary healthcare services, improve community nutrition and build a more robust health resilience system,” said Gita Kamath, Australia’s Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia.
Through collaboration between the central government, regional governments and development partners, the programme is expected to generate learning, innovation and good practices that can be replicated to accelerate the realisation of “Health for All”.
“The KITA SEHAT programme is not merely a cooperation project. It is a joint investment to build an Indonesian health system that is more resilient in facing current and future challenges. The programme’s success is not measured by how long it runs, but by how strong the health system and national capacity it manages to build,” said Deputy Minister Febrian.