Indonesia lacked national guidance for syphilis diagnosis and treatment across medical specialties even as reported cases have been on the rise. Meanwhile, the current hepatitis national action plan has drifted out of sync with the five-year national development planning cycle (RPJMN), reducing its potential impact.
World Health Organization (WHO) supported the Ministry of Health move to close those gaps by developing two important policy instruments. The national syphilis clinical guidelines were developed by the Indonesian Venereology Association with contributions from neurologists, paediatricians and other specialists. They standardize diagnosis and treatment across services and will also serve as a reference for the national health-insurance scheme (BPJS) claims.
In parallel, WHO supported the development of an updated national action plan for hepatitis, bringing it back into alignment with the RPJMN cycle. The revised plan also provides a strategic framework for more coordinated hepatitis prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Together, standardized clinical guidance and aligned national planning strengthen quality of care, improve health financing integration and support more effective, sustainable responses to syphilis and hepatitis across Indonesia.
Written by Budiarto, National Professional Officer for Hepatitis/HIV/STI and Eva Kartikasari, Hepatitis/HIV/STI/EMTCT programme officer, WHO Indonesia