The Government of Indonesia, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), convened 44 institutions for a national Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) table-top exercise (TTX) on 24–26 September 2025. The exercise tested whole-of-government coordination across the five pillars of the PRET framework, drawing on lessons learned from the COVID-19 response to strengthen national readiness for future health emergencies.
Recent global and regional avian influenza events have underscored the need to assess national systems, coordination mechanisms and operational preparedness in a simulated environment. Avian influenza remains a concern in the region, with recent detections in several countries highlighting the need for sustained vigilance. Given Indonesia’s close connectivity through poultry trade, travel and migratory bird pathways, continued preparedness – across human, animal and environmental health sectors – is essential to ensure swift detection and response to potential threats.
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The Ministry of Health led the opening session of the PRET table-top exercise, bringing together multisectoral stakeholders to strengthen Indonesia’s pandemic preparedness. Credit: Ministry of Health, Indonesia
To operationalize the global PRET framework, the Ministry of Health (MoH), with financial support from WHO Indonesia through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, conducted the TTX in Jakarta. The exercise brought together 65 participants across national and subnational levels to test coordination and response capacities across emergency coordination, collaborative surveillance, community protection, clinical management and access to medical countermeasures – the five pillars of PRET.
WHO Indonesia provided technical assistance to adapt the global PRET exercise kit into a localized scenario simulating an avian influenza outbreak, from early alert through widespread transmission and recovery. The customized exercise strengthened cross-sectoral coordination, aligned operational procedures and clarified command pathways, resulting in a prioritized national action list to enhance preparedness and response capacities.
The PRET TTX also reinforced Indonesia’s strong whole-of-government and One Health collaboration. Participants included representatives from ministries, agencies and partners such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, the ASEAN Biological Threats Coordination Centre and the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases, alongside the military, police, academia and professional associations.
Evaluators from the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, the National Disaster Management Agency, Prof. Dr. Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital (RSPI) and Padjadjaran University provided strategic insights to sustain improvements.
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WHO, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the ASEAN Biological Threats Coordination Centre (ABVC) jointly facilitated the session on the collaborative surveillance pillar, strengthening Indonesia’s multisectoral coordination for early detection and response. Credit: WHO/Fieni Aprilia
“This exercise was a valuable opportunity to bring all sectors together under a whole-of-government approach. Moving forward, we see the potential to make future simulations even more engaging by strengthening coordination and introducing more dynamic scenarios,” said Merry Efriana, Deputy Assistant for Disaster Management, Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs.
Dr. Sumarjaya, Director of Surveillance and Health Quarantine at MoH, noted that the TTX provided a practical opportunity to learn, collaborate and strengthen national resilience. “By simulating our preparedness framework, we bring all sectors together under the One Health approach to identify strengths, address gaps and enhance our collective response,” he said.
With continued technical support from WHO, the Government of Indonesia is integrating the results of the exercise into efforts to improve preparedness, planning and coordination between national and subnational levels. The TTX marked an important step in operationalizing the PRET framework, helping to strengthen early warning systems, command coordination, contingency planning and multisectoral collaboration for a more resilient national preparedness system.
This activity was funded by the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework.
Written by Resty Armis, National Professional Officer (Avian Influenza & Emerging Infectious Diseases), WHO Indonesia