Aid in Action

USAID Partners with Indonesian Medical Volunteers to Serve Earthquake Survivors

Jogonalan | Thursday, June 08, 2006

As the emergency phase of the Yogyakarta-Central Java earthquake gradually winds down, USAID and Indonesian medical volunteers are seeing to the long-term health needs of earthquake survivors.  USAID’s Health Services Program (HSP) has tapped into national networks of health professionals to mobilize more than 20 volunteer nurses, midwives, and pediatricians to provide mobile health services to women and children in one of the areas most stricken by the May 27th earthquake. 

Jogonalan, a sub-district of Klaten, is home to several ongoing USAID projects that quickly expanded their activities to provide immediate assistance to earthquake survivors.  USAID’s local environmental projects ensured safe drinking water for the residents of Jogonalan in the days following the devastating earthquake.  USAID’s education program provided large tents to act as classrooms for elementary students whose schools had been destroyed.  To promote the long-term health of Jogonalan’s residents, USAID-sponsored mobile health teams – comprising volunteers from the Pediatricians’ Association (IDAI), Midwives’ Association (IBI), and Indonesia Public Health Association (IAKMI) – are now providing measles immunizations to all 14,500 children under age five and tetanus vaccination to all 32,000 adults. 

Jakarta-based Dr. Wistiani of the Pediatricians’ Association said that she volunteered for one of the USAID-sponsored mobile health teams because “the residents of Jogonalan still face many health problems in addition to treating their injuries from the earthquake.”  In the coming weeks, the volunteer health teams will continue their coordination with local health centers (Puskesmas) to address maternal and child health issues such as diarrhea, malnutrition, and complications with pregnancy and deliveries.