Trubus.id — Plague and pandemic is not the first time faced by the Indonesian people. Previously, in 2005 there were around 200 cases of bird flu transmission that infected humans occurred in Indonesia and less than 1,000 cases in the world.
Chair of the 2005-2009 National Pandemic Influenza Bird Flu Control Committee (Komnas FBPI) Dr. Bayu Krisnamurthi stated that the impact of the bird flu outbreak that occurred around 2005 was much lighter compared to Covid-19 currently faced by Indonesia.
“When compared with Covid-19, frankly, I have to say that bird flu is nothing,” Bayu said at the National Task Force Media Center dialogue at Graha BNPB, Friday (10/07/20).
Furthermore, he said that the terrible thing about bird flu was the very high fatality rate. The mortality rate in the world is 60 percent, while in Indonesia it reaches 80 percent.
Bayu told, in the handling of avian influenza the Indonesian government took a quick step by forming the National Committee for FBPI since the beginning of the detection of bird flu in Indonesia. Komnas FBPI then launched a strategy that could finally reduce the impact of the Bird Flu outbreak at that time.
“We deal with the disease, the socio-economic impact, and public communication in an equal portion,” he said.
When dealing with the disease, Komnas FBPI involved all existing scientists. That is because the outbreak of bird flu was something new at the time.
Talking about the economic impact, in handling bird flu cases, potentially infected poultry must be destroyed by burning. Whereas on the other hand chicken and other poultry have high economic value for the community.
While the portion of public communication carried out by the government is to reach the public with uninterrupted communication with creative communication.
“Communication that makes them not only afraid, but we are also alert,” Said Bayu.
Bayu also emphasized the importance of communication strategies that need to be prepared properly so that the fulfillment of information to the public can be applied.
“We have arranged this communication strategy well, strategically, comprehensively, multilevelly, multimedia. People now need information, if not filled they will look for it, so it is filled with correct information, “Bayu said.
Meanwhile, on the same occasion, the Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health (P2PL) Ministry of Health 2004-2009 I Nyoman Kandun reminded the public to comply with health protocols to prevent Covid-19 transmission. He also explained that synergistic cross-sectoral cooperation is very necessary so that steps to deal with the spread of the virus can be carried out effectively.
“Cooperation between sectors, programs and even countries is very important, because infectious diseases do not recognize the region administratively,” Nyoman said.
The Challenge Faced Is the Level of Community Trust
On the same occasion, Member of the Indonesian Parliament, Muhammad Farhan, who was also the Ambassador of the Avian Flu Response 2006 – 2009 explained that the challenges in conducting public communication at that time were different from the current Covid-19 pandemic. The main difference is the change in people’s perception and the choice of media used.
Bird flu was successfully understood by the public because at that time the media that influenced people’s mindsets and perceptions was much simpler. There is no social media and the expansion of internet usage that affects people’s decisions.
“The challenges are far greater, besides the magnitude of Covid-19 is much greater than Avian Influenza, there is a change in public perception of the information seen and the choice of media used,” Farhan explained through online media.
The main lesson from public communication handling of bird flu in Indonesia is the challenges faced at that time, the level of public confidence in the fact of the spread of the virus. What happened in the past can be a valuable lesson to help deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Believe that this virus is a fact not a conspiracy of the global elite. We can theorize, but the virus has its own will and God determines, let’s anticipate that as a creature, God uses the mind that has been given as the best gift from Allah, “concluded Farhan.
Editor : Astri Sofyanti
–
