The Government of Indonesia is making significant strides in strengthening its health surveillance systems in the wake of lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this commitment, the Secure and Interoperable Surveillance and Health Information System (SISHIS) program, initiated in collaboration with the Australia Indonesia Health Security Partnership (AIHSP) and PT. Reconstra, has successfully concluded its post-pilot phase in Bali. This landmark achievement was celebrated at a closing event held at the Hotel Santika Seminyak, Badung.

The SISHIS initiative aims to enhance the Early Warning and Response System (SKDR or Sistem Kewaspadaan Dini dan Respons) by integrating multiple health information systems into a unified, interoperable platform. This integration is crucial for timely and accurate disease detection and response — key components of Indonesia’s pandemic preparedness strategy.

Across 2022 and 2023, the SISHIS pilot project was implemented in Badung and Buleleng Districts, involving public and private health facilities at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. This initiative focused on improving data quality and the capacity of surveillance program managers, addressing challenges such as reporting delays and underreporting of incidents.

SISHIS complements the SKDR by establishing a data warehouse capable of swiftly detecting potential outbreaks. By streamlining the recording of 24 diseases, SISHIS enhances data accuracy without adding to the workload of healthcare facilities. Two workshops were conducted to build the capacity of surveillance staff, further strengthening local health systems.

At the closing event, I Wayan Wiasthana Ika Putra, Head of Bappeda, emphasised the critical importance of robust surveillance systems in disease control and public health. "Surveillance is the backbone of any disease control program. The data must be representative, timely and consistent. The SISHIS initiative, implemented with AIHSP and PT. Reconstra, aims to enhance our surveillance system by making health information systems interoperable", he stated.

DR. dr. I Nyoman Gede Anom, M. Kes, Head of the Provincial Health Office, reiterated the significance of SISHIS, noting that "by adopting a bottom-up approach, SISHIS strengthens surveillance systems from the primary health facilities level, enhancing our ability to detect potential outbreaks swiftly and accurately. This initiative is a key component of our broader Health Digital Transformation agenda."

The successful conclusion of the SISHIS post-pilot program, which ran from August 2023 to June 2024, represents a pivotal step in reinforcing Bali’s health surveillance capabilities. Activities included workshops with local stakeholders, visits to learn from other successful systems, and ideation sessions to explore sustainable models for SISHIS beyond the pilot phase.

Both I Wayan Wiasthana Ika Putra and Dr. I Nyoman Gede Anom expressed their gratitude to AIHSP and PT. Reconstra for their support and collaboration, underscoring the importance of continued cross-sectoral collaboration and the role of advanced health information systems in achieving sustainable public health improvements.

As Bali moves forward, the provincial government is committed to advocating for the adoption of the SISHIS program across all regions of Bali, as initiated by Badung District, which will transition SISHIS to SINAR NATA, and Buleleng District, which plans to transition SISHIS to SIWA SIMANTRA as part of their long-term strategy. This initiative aligns with the broader goal of strengthening national health resilience through digital transformation, ensuring rapid and precise responses to public health threats.

In line with this goal, John Leigh, Program Director for AIHSP, stated that one of the benefits of digital transformation is that it brings various aspects of digital health together under a single, unified health data system, more integrated and more user-friendly, but still able to provide detailed information. "And part of this is to help people to use and understand the data for themselves. It is clear that the Australian Government is committed to supporting Indonesia in strengthening its digital health system", he concluded.

The successful implementation and conclusion of the SISHIS program underscores Indonesia’s dedication to enhancing its health system and preparedness for future pandemics. This commitment will ensure that Indonesia remains vigilant and ready to protect public health effectively.