AAHCI SEA Regional Meeting
Partnerships for Preparedness: Improving Response and Recovery in the Southeast Asia Region and Globally
January 11-12, 2023
The Southeast Asia (SEA) Regional Meeting on “Partnerships for Preparedness: Improving Response and Recovery in the Southeast Asia Region and Globally” was a successful two-day meeting in Bali, Indonesia, hosted by the 2023 AAHCI Southeast Asia Regional office host, Universitas Indonesia Faculty of Medicine (FMUI). Session topics included infectious disease, urban health, artificial intelligence, residency programs, medical education, leadership training, and more. More than 80 leaders gathered from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the UAE, and the United States. Various news outlets in Indonesia covered different points of the SEA Regional Meeting and highlighted key takeaways from the discussions. To read more (translatable to English), please visit the links below.
Article Links
https://www.tribunnews.com/nasional/2023/01/23/pakar-kedokteran-dunia-diskusikan-pentingnya-penguatan-sistem-pendidikan-kedokteran
https://swa.co.id/swa/trends/pembangunan-kesehatan-area-rural-cocok-dengan-kondisi-indonesia-saat-ini
https://kesehatan.rmol.id/read/2023/01/22/561171/perkuat-sistem-pendidikan-kedokteran-fkui-kumpulkan-pakar-kesehatan-dunia-di-bali
https://www.antaranews.com/berita/3360510/aahci-diharapkan-lahirkan-ide-rekomendasi-kemajuan-kesehatan-global
https://rm.id/baca-berita/life-style/157841/kumpul-di-bali-pakar-kedokteran-dunia-dorong-transformasi-kesehatan-global
https://www.jawapos.com/kesehatan/15/01/2023/malaria-masih-jadi-ancaman-di-asia-tenggara-termasuk-indonesia/
https://megapolitan.antaranews.com/berita/228735/fkui-perlu-kesetaraan-sistem-pendidikan-dan-layanan-kesehatan-daerah-tertinggal
https://edukasi.sindonews.com/read/1002799/211/sistem-pendidikan-kedokteran-perlu-diperkuat-demi-mendorong-transformasi-kesehatan-global-1674385317?showpage=all
AAHCI SEA Webinar | Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines
April 22, 2022
On April 14, 2022, AAHCI Southeast Asia Regional Office host, Universitas Indonesia, hosted a webinar on “Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines”. The webinar aimed to share new insights and expand dialogues around COVID-19 vaccines and future collaborations. Four experts shared their experiences and contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the use of a third-dose vaccination.
Universitas Indonesia Dean of Faculty of Medicine, and AAHCI SEA Regional Ambassador, Prof. Dr. Ari Fahrial Syam, Sp.PD-KGEH, MMB, opened the webinar and was followed by opening remarks from Dr. Louisa Sun, head of the Infection Prevention and Control and Epidemiology Unit, Alexandra Hospital, NUHS, as the webinar moderator.
Dr. Inke Nadia, vice dean of Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, discussed her group’s research evaluating North Sumatera Province’s readiness to transition from pandemic to endemic. Prof. Wang Ji, professor in immunology and vaccine research at The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, presented his team’s research in investigating B cell and T cells responses to a booster dose of inactivated vaccines. Dr. Rima Moghnieh, professor of clinical medicine and head of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Beirut Arab University and Makassed General Hospitals, discussed the safety and efficacy of heterologous vaccinations comparison compared to homologous vaccinations. Assoc. Prof. dr. Hari Handarto, dean of Faculty of Medicine, UIN Jakarta, shared his faculty’s experience and contribution to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in Jakarta.
The panelist presentations were followed by discussion and a Q&A with the audience. The panelists shared their thoughts on breakthroughs in vaccine development, the possibilities of a fourth booster injection, and the role of academic health centers in improving public communication to encourage vaccinations.
Panelists agreed a booster dose is beneficial in maintaining immune response and that combining different types of vaccines is safe. Governments, healthcare systems, academic institutions, and the general population should remain vigilant when facing potential future COVID-19 waves. Strict health measures and vaccinations are keys to controlling viral transmission.
The webinar recording can be accessed on the AAHCI YouTube channel here.
AAHCI SEA Regional Office’s Newsletter on Mental Health
February 1, 2022
This edition of the AAHCI SEA Regional Office newsletter shares how academic health centers in Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore are managing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.
Read this contribution to the AAHCI cross-regional theme of Mental Health During Times of COVID-19 here.
AAHCI Southeast Asia Regional Office Webinar: The Academic Health System Concept
February 22, 2021
The AAHCI Southeast Asia Regional Office hosted an international webinar with the theme of The Academic Health System (AHS) Concept on February 22, 2021.
The webinar provided an overview of Indonesia’s Academic Health System (AHS) and provided a platform for discussion regarding efforts to strengthen collaboration within the AHS by looking at the examples of how academic health centers are governed in Indonesia, Singapore, and other countries.
The webinar launched with opening remarks by the Dean of FMUI, Prof. Ari Fahrial Syam, MD, MMB, PhD, who is also the Coordinator of AHS Universitas Indonesia (UI) and the Regional Ambassador of the AAHCI-Southeast Asia Regional Office. In his opening remarks, Prof. Ari said that the AHS is a crucial component to health systems both nationally and internationally. “AHS is a concept to integrate academic and research in a health system so that health services can be delivered to the community without hindrance,” said Prof. Ari.
Also present on the webinar with opening remarks were Prof. Ari Kuncoro, PhD, rector of Universitas Indonesia, Prof. Abdul Kadir, PhD, MARS, general director of health services of the Ministry of Health of Indonesia, and Prof. Aris Junaidi, PhD, director of quality assurance, Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of Indonesia. All participants emphasized the importance of AHS and expressed their support for AHS in Indonesia.
Guest speakers provided additional insights based on their unique experiences, including: Steven L. Kanter, MD, president and CEO of AAHC/I; Prof. John Eu Li Wong, FACP, FAMS, FRCP, MBBS, senior vice president, National University of Singapore (NUS) and senior advisor, National University Health System, Singapore; Prof. Edward Hillhouse, MD, PhD, BSC, MBBS, emeritus professor of medicine and former dean of University of Leeds, UK, AIM consultant, AAHC/I.
Presentations were followed by a panel session in which representatives from five Indonesian universities shared their experience in managing the newly implemented AHS in Indonesia: Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Airlangga, Universitas Hasanuddin, and Universitas Padjadjaran.
Prof. Dwiana Ocviyanti, MD, MPH, vice dean for education, research, and student affairs, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, moderated this webinar with 350 attendees.
The recording can be accessed on AAHC YouTube here.
Assessing the Adaptation and Resilience of Academic Health Centers during the COVID-19 Pandemic – AAHCI's Southeast Asia Regional Meeting
November 18-19, 2020
The Southeast Asia Regional Office for the Association of Academic Health Centers International (AAHCI), hosted by the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia (FMUI), led a virtual regional conference under the theme of Assessing the Adaptation and Resilience of Academic Health Centers during COVID-19 Pandemic. This regional meeting was held November 18-19, 2020, bringing together leaders in healthcare and health professions education to share their experiences and perspectives in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting was opened by Steven Kanter, MD, president & CEO, Association of Academic Health Centers, followed by the opening remarks from Agustin Kusumayati, MD, MSc, PhD, university secretary, Universitas Indonesia and Prof. Ari Fahrial Syam, MD, MMB, PhD, dean of FMUI, coordinator of Academic Health System UI.
After the opening remarks, the meeting focused on five main topics: mitigating COVID-19 during times of political change; managing the relationships between the university and teaching hospitals in a COVID-19 era; current practices in population health at academic health centers; COVID-19 treatment and vaccine development; and preparing academic health centers for the future.
The meeting brought forth many renowned experts from various fields, ranging from basic science to medical education, clinical practice, and public health and policymaking. Discussions illustrated that all such fields must be appropriately integrated to effectively tackle global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This two-day virtual event successfully provided valuable insight for the leaders in the region to collaborate and overcome this pandemic together.
The recorded sessions of this regional meeting can be accessed on the AAHC YouTube channel here and presentation materials can be viewed on the AAHC website here.
AAHCI Southeast Asia Regional Office Develops COVENT-20
August 6, 2020
In an effort to help deal with COVID-19, several researchers from the University of Indonesia (UI) developed a Pneumatic System Based Low-Cost Local Transport Ventilator (COVENT-20). This multidisciplinary research arose from the Faculty of Engineering UI (FTUI); the Faculty of Medicine UI (FKUI) and the UI Hospital, Health Polytechnic; the Ministry of Health (Politeknik Kesehatan Kementerian Kesehatan Jakarta); the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, and the Persahabatan Hospital, chaired by Dr. Basari, ST, MEng.
This work is expected to meet ventilator needs at hospitals in Indonesia, particularly hospitals that are referrals for handling COVID-19 patients. Indonesia did not have enough local ventilator production to meet domestic needs during the global pandemic, and there was a limited supply of imported ventilators with only 70 distributors who could supply ventilators in Indonesia.
The research focused on ventilator transport for several reasons: the availability of more local spare parts; suspected and COVID-19 positive patients who experience respiratory failure need a transport ventilator for travel from home to hospital; and an adjustable ventilation multimode, needless to say, is more cost-effective in production. Energy-efficient (energy saving with lithium-ion batteries), compact, portable, and easy to operate using a bacterial filter, these ventilators are safe for suspected and positive patients of COVID-19 to travel from home or observation room to isolation room.
The multimode ventilation used on this ventilator is a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) mode system for COVID-19 suspected patients who are usually conscious and in need of oxygen. While the CMV (Continuous Mandatory Ventilation) mode is used for COVID-19 positive patients with symptoms of severe pneumonia who cannot regulate their breathing, it needs to be controlled by CMV mode (time-triggered). This ventilator is also equipped with PEEP (Positive End Expiratory Pressure).
COVENT-20 was declared to have passed human clinical trials for CMV and CPAP modes by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, on June 15, 2020, and 300 COVENT-20 ventilators will be distributed to more than 180 COVID-19 referral hospitals and hospitals throughout Indonesia through a donation process.
AAHCI Southeast Asia Regional Office Inaugural Newsletter: Perspectives on COVID-19 Impact
May 14, 2020
In this inaugural Issue, the AAHCI-SEA newsletter shares how members in the region have responded to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Five unique perspectives from AAHCI members address topics such as current challenges and opportunities in Indonesia, using comic strip humor to help calm feverish minds and sort out fact from fiction in Singapore, how local spirit prevailed toward compassionate care in the Philippines, the creation of an application that assesses COVID-19 vulnerability in rural communities of Indonesia, and the importance of healthcare worker safety in Malaysia. Read more here.
AAHCI SEA Regional Meeting
October 19, 2019
On July, 1, 2018, Universitas Indonesia (UI) became the AAHCI Regional Office for Southeast Asia. The National University of Singapore had hosted the Regional Office for four years prior. The Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Dr. dr. Ari Fahrial Syam, SpPD-KGEH, MMB and Prof. Dr. dr. Budi Iman Santoso, SpOG(K), MPH were appointed as Regional Ambassadors. On October 19, 2019, UI held the largest yet AAHCI Southeast Asia Regional Meeting.
This annual event provides the opportunity for members of AAHCI and medical education institutions in South East Asia (SEA), especially those in Indonesia, to meet and interact. The aim of the meeting is to share knowledge and experiences regarding the implementation of academic health systems (AHS) at member institutions.
Lectures and panel discussions were held in the Senat Akademik Fakultas room in Faculty of Medicine UI, Jakarta. The theme for this year’s meeting was “Rising Complexities in Managing Academic Health Centers”. The meeting was held in conjunction with the 12th Jakarta Meeting on Medical Education (JAKMED). Prof. Ari Fahrial opened both events as the Dean of Faculty of Medicine as well as AAHCI SEA Regional Ambassador. General Director of Science and Technology Resources from the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, Prof. dr. Ali Ghufron Mukti, M.Sc, PhD was also present and offered welcome remarks.
The Rector of UI, Prof. Dr. Ir. Muhammad Anis. M. Met, who is also the advisor for AHS-UI, gave a brief speech to open the sessions. He emphasized the support of the university for every program of AHS-UI. He also congratulated AHS-UI on the progress it has made since formation and thanked AAHCI for their support.
Many speakers from outside of UI gave presentations at the event. Notably, Prof. Dr. dr. med. Akmal Taher, SpU (K) from the National Working Group for AHS and Joint Committee of Ministry of Health and Ministry of Research and Technology for AHS delivered a presentation on implementing the AHS on a national level. Another notable speaker was Dr. dr. Trimartani, SpTHT-KL(K), MARS, the Director of Human Resources for Rumah Sakit Umum dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo (RSCM), who talked about RSCM’s role as the main teaching hospital for AHS-UI’s Pilot Project.
The discussion sessions included several international panelists, such as Prof. Chng Wee Joo from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Prof. Adeeba Kamarulzaman from Universiti Malaya (UM), Andi Hermansyah, S.Farm, M.Sc, PhD from Universitas Airlangga (Unair), and dr. Mei Neni Sitaresmi, SpA(K) from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). The panelists shared perspectives on obstacles they faced when starting to implement AHS in their respective institutions.
The last session, led by Prof. Dr. dr. Ratna Sitompul, SpM(K) as moderator and presented by Prof. C. Donald Combs and Prof. Albert Scherpbier, addressed the benefits of being a member of AAHCI. The event was closed by Prof. Ari a who urged all participants to play an important role in the growth of AHS so that the medical personnel produced from UI will be properly prepared to face the many challenges in medicine. UI looks forward to hosting another AAHCI Southeast Asia Regional Meeting in 2020!
AAHCI Announces Southeast Asia Regional Office Transition
WASHINGTON, July 3, 2018 - The Association of Academic Health Centers International (AAHCI), the international arm of the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC), is pleased to announce the transition of the Southeast Asia Regional Office from the National University of Singapore to the Universitas Indonesia, Faculty of Medicine .
"I want to express my appreciation and gratitude to the National University of Singapore as the inaugural host of the Association’s Southeast Asia Regional Office. Under the leadership of Prof. John Wong and Dr. Khay-Guan Yeoh, the office was an exemplar in setting high standards for meetings, information sharing, and membership development," said AAHC President and CEO, Dr. Steven L. Kanter. "The Association looks forward to working with the Universitas Indonesia, Faculty of Medicine as the newly appointed Southeast Asia Regional Office. Under the leadership of Dr. Ari Fahrial Syam, we anticipate a smooth transition and are confident of much future success."
The Southeast Asia Regional Office transitioned to the Universitas Indonesia, Faculty of Medicine on July 1, 2018.
The transition of this office, along with the continued work of the European Regional Office, hosted by Maastricht University; the Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office, hosted by the University of Sao Paulo; and the Middle East and North Africa Regional Office, hosted by the American University of Beirut, is central to AAHCI providing:
- Customized region-specific interests and tailored programs;
- Facilitated regional networking opportunities, educational programs, exchange of best practices, data collection and analysis, and community/regional relationships; and,
- A deeper understanding of the academic health center concept for governments, industry, and the public.
AAHCI is a subsidiary of AAHC, a non-profit association dedicated to advancing health and well-being through the vigorous leadership of academic health centers.