THE CISCAI PROJECT

COMMUNICATIONS & INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR

THE CONTROL OF AVIAN INFLUENZA

ASEAN FOUNDATION

PART IV: CISCAI GIS Web, Mobile Reporting System and SMS Gateway PART V: RECOMMENDATION CISCAI GIS Web, Mobile Reporting System and SMS Gateway for other ICT Application usage; such as for the area of Disaster Management, Agriculture, Forestry and other emerging infectious diseases (EIDs)

THE PROJECT

Avian influenza (AI) is an infectious viral disease of birds (especially wild water fowl such as ducks and geese), often causing no apparent signs of illness. AI viruses can sometimes spread to domestic poultry and cause large-scale outbreaks of serious disease. Some of these AI viruses have also been reported to cross the species barrier and cause disease or subclinical infections in humans and other mammals. The A(H5N1) virus subtype, a highly pathogenic AI virus, first infected humans in 1997 during a poultry outbreak in Hong Kong SAR, China. Since its widespread re-emergence in 2003 and 2004, this avian virus has spread from Asia to Europe and Africa and has become entrenched in poultry in some countries in Southeast Asia, particularly

in Indonesia and Viet Nam resulting in millions of poultry infections, several hundred human cases, and many human deaths. Outbreaks in poultry have seriously impacted livelihoods, the economy and international trade in affected countries. Guided by the principles of early detection, early warning, and early response, the ASEAN Foundation launched the project Communication and Information Systems for the Control of Avian Influenza (CISCAI) in 2008 in order to research, design, develop, field-test and deploy sustainable communication and information systems that will support national efforts to manage and control the spread of avian influenza among animals and humans in Lao PDR, Viet Nam and Indonesia.

1. To establish the information and communication requirements of livestock and public health agencies in the pilot countries, Lao PDR and Viet Nam; 2. To design and develop an integrated web-based geographical information system (GIS) developed from free and open source software (FOSS) and a mobile reporting system that allows human and animal health surveillance data to be collected in a centralized database and displayed visually, in order for experts from both livestock and public health sectors can track both sets of avian-influenza related data. This will enable public health specialists to anticipate possible impacts on human health due to disease outbreaks among the animal populations; 3. To research, design and commission stable, broadband-wireless networks to be used by key livestock and public health agencies in Lao PDR and Viet Nam in implementing national avian influenza control plans, and providing them with secure and reliable channels of communication with their personnel confined within quarantine zones; and 4. To field test and analyse the performance of these wireless technologies, in order to confirm their readiness for reliable operations in the event of future avian influenza outbreaks.

OBJECTIVES

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Above photo: Network engineers field-testing the CISCAI WIMAX-based system in a remote village in Viet Nam. Left photo: Network engineers setting up the mobile IP-STAR satellite link-up for remote data relay and data transfer to and from NETNAM headquarters in Hanoi, Viet Nam.

Early on during the implementation of the CISCAI Project, the Viet Nam component had been tasked to provide technology transfer through training on the development and use of FOSS and mobile GIS applications. The information systems were designed based on a series of user needs assessment workshops, conducted among stakeholders from the Ministries of Health and the Agriculture of both Lao PDR and Viet Nam. It was developed by the Viet Nam Component and then duplicated, modified, enhanced and localised within the context of Lao PDR and Indonesia. The use of FOSS have the following advantages:

Affordable deployment with low cost maintenance to be replicated in other ASEAN Member States (AMS);

Can be expanded and modified to meet the AMS needs on fighting avian influenza and other emerging infectious diseases (EIDs);

Can be integrated with existing information systems in the AMS and;

Easy to translate (or localise) into other languages and dialects. The Integrated web-based GIS was designed to provide decision makers in the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture with real-time avian influenza outbreak data visualization layered with other salient information such as locations of hospitals, laboratories, chicken farms, markets, etc. The outbreak information from the field were designed to be sent using the mobile reporting system module of CISCAI. It was designed to enable field health workers and farmers/agriculturists to send the information along with global positioning system (GPS) coordinates and pictures of the outbreak, which were then plotted on the web GIS map. This mobile reporting system used a combination of wireless fidelity (WiFi) and general packet radio service (GPRS) connections. Further application of short mail service (SMS) was also explored. The system had several levels of users: data collectors, processors, decision makers and administrators. Decision makers can see merged information about avian influenza outbreaks on both humans and poultry on a web-GIS map.

OUTPUT: SOFTWARE

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In Lao PDR, a functioning fixed WIMAX (Wireless Interoperability for Microwave Access) network was piloted in Vientiane Capital. The initial plan was to purchase WIMAX equipment under the CISCAI Lao PDR component. In 2006, however, Lao PDR launched the Lao PDR e-Government Project, linking most government ministries and other organisations in Vientiane and throughout the country using WIMAX technology. Viet Nam, on the other hand, used satellite broadband technologies with portable Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) ground receiving stations (GRS) to achieve remote connectivity. The mobile GRS was retrofitted on a vehicle provided by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) of the Viet Nam Ministry of Health. This mobile WIMAX provided streaming internet satellite connection between rapid response teams deployed in the outbreak areas and NIHE central office, which were located in Hanoi. To gauge the system’s stability and performance, the CISCAI project conducted a series of performance tests and field trials to see the system’s performance in simulated outbreak situations. This was done in cooperation with wireless networking experts from Thailand’s National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (NECTEC) technical backstopping for the CISCAI project.

OUTPUT: HARDWARE

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In photo: Network engineers hoisting a WIMAX / WIFI communications box on helium-filled balloons. The purpose of the exercise is to increase the height of the communications box, thereby increasing the signals’ line of sight and reach. The exercise also tested the feasibility of such a setup during outbreak and emergency scenarios when and where local communications infrastructure (i.e. cellular sites/towers) are non-existent.

Since human resource development was the most important component for the success of project implementation, the CISCAI Project conducted several capacity building activities which included trainings and seminars targeted at enhancing the knowledge of ICT engineers, as well as stakeholders from the public health and animal health sectors. These included trainees from national Avian Influenza (AI) emergency response teams from both Lao PDR and Viet Nam. These teams were trained in the use of the software and hardware developed by the Project and how to maintain the CISCAI system.

OUTPUT:

TRAINING ON ICT

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Above photo: Dr. Kitti Wongthavarawat, wireless technology expert from the National Electronics and Computer Center (NECTEC) of Thailand, conducting the training on WIMAX Technology, in Mae Hong Son Thailand. Left photos: Network engineers from Laos, Viet Nam and Indonesia during the WIMAX training in Mae Hong Son, Thailand and the visit to one of the WIMAX base stations in the same town.

CISCAI VIET NAM

The coordinative effort in Viet Nam was led by NetNam Corporation, a government-owned corporation which was founded in 1994 by the Institute of Information Technology, the pioneer in Internet service provision in Viet Nam. Among the salient points of the project implementation relative to the CISCAI Viet Nam component included the use of the IP-STAR portable Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) ground receiving stations (GRS), for CISCAI Project’s requirements for mobile internet-via-satellite connectivity applications. This was further enhanced by the use of mobile, on-the-fly WIMAX (Wireless Interoperability for Microwave Access) base station. The WIMAX and the IP-STAR GRS were retrofitted on a vehicle that was provided by and through the courtesy of the National Institute of Health and Epidemiology (NIHE) of the Viet Nam Ministry of Health. The CISCAI Viet Nam activities had technical support from the Information and Communication Technology Department for Natural Resources and Environment (CIREN) of the Viet Nam Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. CIREN was in charged of

the technology development and transfer through training on the use of mobile geographic information systems (GIS) and the application of Free Open Source Software (FOSS) on the CISCAI project. The use of FOSS and GIS were two key elements envisioned to make CISCAI project highly replicable in many member states of ASEAN. The CISCAI Viet Nam component deployed the following wireless technologies:

• Mobile WIMAX Base Station System • Satellite Link Communications Mobile VSAT vehicle

(MVV) • WIMAX Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) with

PCMCIA • WIMAX CPE with Wireless Fidelity (WIFI) integrated

technology • WIMAX CPE with WIFI MESH Technology • WIFI and Balloon technology

INITIATIVES IN VIET NAM

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The Information and Communication Technology Department for Natural Resources and Environment (CIREN) of the Viet Nam Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment had been tasked to provide technology transfer through training, on the development and use of FOSS and mobile GIS applications for the CISCAI project. The use of FOSS and mobile GIS were two key features deemed to make CISCAI project highly replicable in many member states of ASEAN.

In an attempt to effectively transfer the developed CISCAI technologies, a series of web and mobile GIS technology-transfer trainings were conducted in mid-2009, by CIREN among ITRI personnel and additionally, one PCU staff. The trainings were necessary for the technology transfer of developed mobile GIS technology and the know-how to Laos PDR stakeholders, the idea being that after the GIS training, Laos will just need to replicate the systems that will have been developed by Viet Nam, with minor localization and tweaking, particularly on the language/dialect aspects of the developed technology (i.e. conversion from Vietnamese to local Laos language).

MOBILE REPORTING AND

WEB-BASED GIS

TABLETOP EXERCISES

In what may the first of a kind activity where the use of satellite-based communications in tandem with ground-based mobile device reporting, the CISCAI Project set a landmark simulation table-top exercises in three separate locations and occasions during the duration of the project in Viet Nam. The areas included Soc Son District, Hoa Binh, and Thai Nguyen provinces. In all three instances, the CISCAI system was validated in terms of the following parameters: the speed at which data from the field was inputted and conveyed electronically/digitally via the CISCAI’s “hybrid” network system (consisting of the IP-STAR internet satellite link - WIMAX-WIFI configuration), in both mobile hand-held devices and laptop computers; the time it took for information to be processed and decisions made at the central levels of both the NIHE and the DAH, and subsequently how this updated information was displayed on the web-based CISCAI Geographic Information System (GIS). As in the maiden table-top exercise, the whole process was benchmarked with the classical/traditional “paper-and-pen” outbreak reporting system, in order to gauge the overall performance of the CISCAI-enabled reporting system. Additionally, the simulation exercises were also aimed at observing the behavior of the different wireless technologies that were employed under the Project, in order to achieve the provision of last-mile access solutions during crisis situations, such as that of an AI outbreak.

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In photo: Network engineers preparing the IP-STAR mobile ground receiving antenna, which provides the data link between the field-based CISCAI team to the NETNAM headquarters in Hanoi, Viet Nam. The exercise also tested the feasibility of such a setup during outbreak and emergency scenarios when and where local communications infrastructures (i.e. cellular sites/towers) are unavailable and the only possible means to relay/transmit data is via an internet satellite such as the IP-STAR. .

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CISCAI LAOS PDR

It had been originally planned and budgeted that all WIMAX equipment will be purchased under the CISCAI Lao Peoples Democratic Republic’s (PDR) budget. Also, initially it had been planned that the internet connection will use Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL). The Laos PDR’s component was led by the Information Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

In 2006, however, the Laos PDR launched an ambitious project to electronically link up the City of Vientiane and the country through a project dubbed “Lao PDR e-Government Project”. Through this project, all government ministries, databases and other organizations in the capital city of Vientiane, and throughout the country will have been linked by the end of 2009. It was also envisioned that by 2010, Lao PDR will have been electronically-linked with its fellow ASEAN states, as well as, with other neighboring countries. Laos’ e-Government project was in full swing during the implementation of CISCAI, and had successfully linked or was in the process of linking key government agencies using WIMAX (Wireless Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology, among which are the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, which were likewise major Laos partners of the CISCAI. The CISCAI Project became a vital component of this process and definitely complemented Laos’ initiatives of using WIMAX technologies for government e-health service and delivery.

In the light of these developments, the CISCAI Lao PDR component had been “retrofitted” to ride on Laos’ e-Government Project, in order to avoid WIMAX network redundancy.

INITIATIVES IN LAO PDR

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NETWORK

INFRASTRUCTURE

DEVELOPMENT It was noted that there were already two (2) fully functional site installations of WIMAX, namely at the Animal Health Center and the Friendship Hospital, in Vientiane. These were complemented with two (2) optical fiber networks which connected to the ITRI network operations center (NOC). Likewise, a Laos PDR CISCAI Web Server had already been established with the URL, http://www.ciscai.org.la. With the completion of the CISCAI project in Lao PDR, ITRI had conducted several network performance tests on the newly-established WIMAX networks within Vientiane. In order to achieve localization of technology, several user needs assessment workshops were held and formed as the basis for the over-all design, structure and implementation of the Lao PDR CISCAI Project. This was conducted through a series of participatory consultations and questionnaires, and implemented in coordination with Lao PDR’s Ministries of Health and Agriculture. Localization (which included translation from Viet Nam language to the Laos Language) of the mobile GIS applications, as well as the transfer of the web-based GIS technology have been achieved.

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In photo: The backbone of the CISCAI project is the use of wireless technologies such as WIMAX and WIFI. The WIMAX base station in Vientiane shown above is one of the technologies that have been thoroughly explored and exploited by the CISCAI project. .

The CISCAI-Laos project team conducted its first simulation and tests of the CISCAI system using a mobile-WIMAX together with cellular phones, and reported “simulated” AI outbreaks in two areas in the outskirts of Vientiane City: a chicken farm in Khampan and a local hospital in Xaysettha districts. Similar to the table simulation exercises in Viet Nam, the system was field tested in terms of the following parameters: the speed at which data from the field was inputted and conveyed electronically/digitally via the CISCAI-Laos’ network system; the time it took for information to be processed and decision made at the central levels of both the Laos Ministries of Health and Agriculture, and subsequently how these updated information was displayed in the web-based CISCAI GIS. Post-exercise evaluation showed that the CISCAI system significantly enhanced the speed at which data was collected and processed information was done. What would have taken days and a number of steps, the CISCAI team achieved the same well within an hour for data to reach central offices of concerned government agencies. As a follow up activity to the first tabletop simulation exercises, the second simulation exercise was held in August 2011. As in previous similar exercises, the activity was participated in by staff from the Lao PDR’s Ministries of Health and Agriculture, and spearheaded and locally coordinated by ITRI. The crowning glory of this particular simulation exercise was the monumental use of research-grade balloons to hoist WIMAX equipment even higher, aimed at increasing the station’s line of sight for field workers using WIMAX signals in reporting and sending data. The 2nd tabletop simulation exercises was capped with the holding of a day-long seminar that marked the completion of the CISCAI Project in Lao PDR. The seminar provided a platform for the project team to share the use and application of ICT and related communications technologies in the surveillance, monitoring and management of AI. A demonstration of the CISCAI system was made during the seminar. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Health also presented how the information system was adopted for surveillance of animal and human cases of AI.

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TABLETOP EXERCISES

CISCAI THAILAND

The National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) was the main coordinator for the Thailand component of the CISCAI Project. Since the Project’s inception, NECTEC had provided the over-all technical backstopping for all wireless technologies - the backbone of the CISCAI Project.

NECTEC was primarily charged with the responsibility to develop the overall framework to test the performance of the CISCAI WIMAX Network in both Lao PDR and Viet Nam.

INITIATIVES IN THAILAND

In pursuit of this objective, NECTEC had been commissioned to provide technology transfer through training on key WIMAX principles and technologies among CISCAI’s stakeholders, particularly to ITRI and NetNam staff. The series of WIMAX engineering workshops were organized and coordinated by the NECTEC Team, under the leadership of Dr. Kitti Wongthavarawat.

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WIMAX

ENGINEERING

WORKSHOPS

There were two WIMAX Engineering workshops held within the duration of the CISCAI Project. The First CISCAI WiMAX Engineering Workshop was successfully held from 16-20 March 2009, at the Mahanakorn Gypsum Building Training Center NECTEC in Bangkok,Thailand, while the second one was held from 25-29 January 2010 at the National Electronics and Computer Center (NECTEC) WIMAX site in rustic Mae Hong Son Province, in northwestern Thailand.

The WIMAX Engineering workshops were aimed at increasing core competences of network engineers in WIMAX technologies, for implementing and administering securely and effectively, the CISCAI wireless network systems that were put in place.

Among the advanced topics covered by key experts from NECTEC included the following:

Overview of the WIMAX infrastructure and system in Mae Hong Son model site;

WIMAX radio frequency (RF) design and planning ;

WIMAX quality of service (QoS) and applications;

WIMAX hands-on configurations;

WIMAX performance testing and tower construction fundamentals.

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In photo: The second WIMAX Engineering workshop was held from 25-29 January 2010 at the National Electronics and Computer Center (NECTEC) WIMAX site in rustic Mae Hong Son Province, in northwestern Thailand. .

Two (2) CISCAI GIS Trainings were held during the term of the Project. The first one was conducted at the Information Centre of Natural Resources and Environment of Viet Nam (CIREN) in Hanoi Viet Nam, from 3 -28 August 2009. The second GIS Training was held at the ASEAN Foundation office from 23 May to 3 June 2011. Dr. Makarim Wibisono, ASEAN Foundation Executive Director, welcomed the participants representing technical staff from CISCAI partner organisations in Lao PDR, Viet Nam and Indonesia.

The trainings consisted of modules on web-based GIS and mobile reporting systems which aimed to transfer the relevant technologies in support of the implementation and sustainability of CISCAI in the participating countries. The training covered intermediate to advanced level of free/open source software Web GIS and mobile reporting development including applications such as Open Layer, Map Server, MYSQL DBMS, Joomla application framework, SMS Gateway and Java2M, among others. Participants were from the Information and Technology Research Institute (ITRI) of Lao PDR, Center of Natural Resource and Environment (CIREN) of Viet Nam. For the second GIS training which was held in Jakarta, TPFB (Avian Influenza Task Force) Muhammadiyah of Indonesia participated in the training. The system was also able to simultaneously process and show field information in real-time on the map through the test website.

GIS TRAININGS

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One of the participants trying out the web-based GIS CISCAI system.

Participants and trainers strike a pose during one of the GIS training workshops held during the duration of the CISCAI project.

CISCAI INDONESIA

At the height of the global pandemic of the Swine Flu or A(H1N1) virus in the first and second quarters of 2009, a directive was made by then Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation, Dr. Filemon A. Uriarte, Jr., which instructed the CISCAI Project to undertake and explore means and mechanisms by which the technologies being developed by the Project can be mainstreamed as well in Indonesia, where CISCAI itself was headquartered.

MINI-WORKSHOP ON STATE-OF THE-ART ICT APPLICATIONS FOR THE MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT OF AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) IN INDONESIA

On 16 June 2009, Hotel Ibis Tamarin in Jakarta Indonesia was center stage for the maiden Mini-Workshop on State of the Art ICT Applications for the Monitoring and Management of Avian Influenza (AI) in Indonesia, organized by the Communication and Information Systems for the Control of Avian Influenza (CISAI-PCU) Project of the ASEAN Foundation.

A first of its kind event held in Indonesia, the Mini-Workshop was aimed at establishing a clear and holistic picture about the state-of the-art usage of ICT as regards the monitoring and management of AI. The event also served as a venue to share best practices and lessons learned in the use and application of ICT and related communications technologies (such as but not limited to space/satellite information and communications, GIS, etc.) for the surveillance, monitoring and management of AI in Indonesia, and in general, for other related environmental health and vector-borne diseases.

INITIATIVES IN INDONESIA

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The First Summit on Information and Communication Technology-Enabled Resources for the Control of Avian Influenza (INCITE-AI) was held from 7-9 June 2010 in Bali, Indonesia. The event was attended by over forty delegates from ASEAN member states, local and international organizations that are based in Indonesia the ASEAN-ADB HPAI Project; Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Indonesia; the Asian Institute of Technology-Indonesia; and the Tim Penanggulangan Flu Burung (TPFB) Muhammadiyah, Indonesia. The 3-day meeting provided a platform to share best practices and lessons learned in the use and application of ICT and related communications technologies for the surveillance, monitoring and management of AI and other related environmental health and emerging infectious diseases. Technology demonstrations of the enabling technologies such as WIMAX, web-based GIS and mobile phone-based AI reporting systems were conducted during the conference. The Regional CISCAI Strategy was also drafted and agreed upon. The three components of this Strategy are: (1) Enhancement and continuous use to further develop the CISCAI technologies, and make Laos and Viet Nam as showcases for the effective use of the said system in combating AI and related emerging and re-emerging diseases (EIDs); (2) Transfer CISCAI-developed technologies to other ASEAN Member States (AMSs); and (3) Sustainability of CISCAI.

FIRST INCITE-AI

SUMMIT

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In photo (from right to left): Dr. Filemon Uriarte, former ASEAN Foundation Executive Director, Mr. Tran Ba Thai, Director of NetNam-Viet Nam, and Mr. Phonpasit Phissamay, Director of ITRI-Lao PDR officially opened the First INCITE-AI Summit by hitting the ceremonial gong.

In photo: TPFB Muhammadiyah staff participating in a series on consultative talks on how to downstream the technologies developed under CISCAI in the context of Indonesia AI issues.

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CISCAI-TPFB

MUHAMMADIYAH

PARTNERSHIPS

In the third quarter of fiscal year 2009, CISCAI conducted exploratory talks with the Tim Penanggulangan Flu Burung (TPFB) of Muhammadiyah.

A collaborative project was hatched between TPFB Muhammadiyah and CISCAI, dubbed as Project Result Dissemination in Indonesia (PRDI). CISCAI and Muhammadiyah focused on ICT-enabled systems, for immediate reporting and response among its thousands of grassroots-based volunteers. By 2010, CISCAI-PCU had already conducted several of technology-transfer training courses, among Bantul District’s local agricultural staff and TPFB-Muhammadiyah’s core technical staff.

The collaboration would provide a great impact on Indonesia’s fight against the dreaded AI disease, Indonesia having the highest incidence, as well as, human mortality cases due to AI. Furthermore, the collaboration between CISCAI and TPFB Muhammadiyah is deemed to be strategic in the common fight against AI, in that the latter particularly has a large Indonesian proletariat grounding and support, in addition to its long and rich history of socio-cultural and religious experience in the whole of Indonesia. Additionally, TPFB Muhammadiyah for its part, also has a strong and existing AI Monitoring Prevention Program already rooted in Bantul District of Yogyakarta, which was then the pilot-test area for PRDI.

The PRDI was also in support to the Regional CISCA Strategy drafted during the First INCITE-AI Summit, held from 7-9 June 2010 in Bali, Indonesia.

A number of training workshops on the technology transfer and strengthening of the AI participatory reporting and surveillance systems, were implemented through a collaboration between CISCAI and TPFB Muhammadiyah.

Under this collaboration, several information sub-systems were developed and localized for Indonesia which consisted of: 1) Integrated Web Geographies Information Sub-system (GIS) 2) Volunteer Management Sub-system and 3) Short Message Service (SMS) Sub-systems. The sub-systems were all based on CISCAI’s open source technologies and were localized to the local language (Javanese & Indonesian), while at the same time were also harmonized with the well-established AI reporting protocols practiced in Indonesia.

In contrast to the implementation of CISCAI in Viet Nam and Laos which were more focused on strengthening the capacities at government levels, implementation of CISCAI in Indonesia took a different mechanism by promoting AI reporting and surveillance, through community-based, participatory approach, with AI volunteers being empowered through the use of communication and information technologies developed by CISCAI.

The training sessions were conducted on two occasions form 19-20 October, and from 21 to 23 December 2010 in Jakarta and Bantul district, respectively. The latter training was attended by 105 participants from local government, various non-government organizations and AI volunteers in Bantul. Additionally, the CISCAI Team introduced the concept of applying or extending these enabling technologies to other sectors such as disaster management and land use (farming) information systems.

Among the highlights of this event was the updating of Bantul District’s AI volunteer information database to be part of the CISCAI–TPFB collaboration. During this time also, the SMS reporting system was translated into the vernacular.

GIS TRAININGS

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LAUNCH & SIMULATION

IN BANTUL DISTRICT

YOGYAKARTA

To further fortify the CISCAI–TPFB Muhammadiyah collaboration, a follow-up coordinative meeting was conducted on 21-22 February 2011 which was attended by key government officers from Department of Animal Health, Department of Public Health, PDSR, DSO and LDCC, TPFB Muhammadiyah.

At this point, the collaboration between CISCAI – TPFB Muhammadiyah already reached the finalization of the system design before it was launched to the public. The collaboration already conducted a series of capacity building activities, information systems development and coordinative meetings with the local government. So far the collaboration worked within 2 sub-districts of Bantul which were Sanden and Srandakan. Within these 2 sub-districts, the collaboration had already successfully trained and registered about 120 village-based AI volunteers, as well as, a highly-trained technical team from TPFB Muhammadiyah to support the sustainability of the program. The CISCAI Web and mobile reporting system developed for Bantul District had to be launched and tested, in order to simulate close to near AI outbreak situations. The launch and simulation took place on 14-17 June 2011 that involved all the stakeholders related to the AI reporting in the two sub-districts of Bantul, Yogyakarta. Prior to the launch, a coordinative, pre-launch meeting was held. Participants of the simulation included stakeholders at all levels, including community volunteers, farmers, poultry owners, AI field health and agricultural workers. As in previous simulation exercises that have been conducted in Laos and Viet Nam, these exercises were meant to measure the speed at which information on simulated AI infections in the field are relayed through CISCAI’s system, as well as, to observe how the different stakeholders behave and respond during such situations.

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DISSEMINATION SEMINAR

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The crowning event for the successful collaborative efforts of CISCAI and its replication in Bantul District of Yogyakarta was the Dissemination Seminar on the Communication and Information Systems for the Control of Avian Influenza (CISCAI) held on 4 October 2011, at the Muhammadiyah Headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event was attended by some 50 participants from donor agencies, local and international non-governmental organizations, Ministry of Health, and autonomous entities under TPFB Muhammadiyah Central Board organization. It was officially opened by Dr. Makarim Wibisono, then Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation and Prof Dr. Syafiq Mughni, Chairman of the Central Board of Muhammadiyah.

Among the highlights of the successful collaboration between CISCAI and TPFB Muhammadiyah were the following:

Deployment of the CISCAI system that was based on free open source system (FOSS). The system consisted of a web-based Geographical Information Service (GIS), a mobile reporting system and SMS gateway that have interactive facilities for reporting, coordination, and a Volunteer Management Sub-system (VMS). ASEAN Foundation deployed and installed a CISCAI computer server in Bantul to enable TPFB Muhammadiyah to sustain its operation; and

Delivery of technical trainings for administrators and operators of TPFB Muhammadiyah Avian Influenza Task Force, including trainings on SMS gateway system maintenance for volunteers in the sub-districts of Sanden and Srandakan. An offshoot of the collaboration was the conduct of an Advocacy workshop that introduced CISCAI among related local government offices in Bantul District.

In photo: Exchange of tokens between Dr. Makarim Wibisono (right), then Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation and Prof Dr. Syafiq Mughni, Chairman of the Central Board of Muhammadiyah during the Dissemination Seminar of CISCAI, held last 4 October 2011.

In photo: In Indonesia, Bantul District in Yogyakarta became the test area for CISCAI-developed technologies.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Most of the post-project recommendations stem from the First Summit on Information and Communication Technology-Enabled Resources for the Control of Avian Influenza (INCITE-AI). In essence, the recommendations put forward underscore the need to further develop/enhance the products and techniques which were derived from CISCAI. DEPLOYMENT AND ENHANCEMENT OF CISCAI-DEVELOPED TECHNOLOGIES It is suggested that the CISCAI-developed technologies be deployed to related AI stakeholders within ASEAN. This is to enable stakeholders to operate, feel and learn the system, taking into account the necessary human resource development, as well as public awareness activities to be undertaken in order for these technologies to be adopted. In support of this, CISCAI and prospective technology adopters need to further improve the technology products derived from CISCAI, particularly enhancement to support the different languages of ASEAN, and therefore provide relevant delivery of content to target users. In addition, it is necessary to integrate the CISCAI-developed system with the national information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructures of both Vietnam and Lao PDR for increased public access of the technology. Indonesia had taken the bold step of downstreaming the results of CISCAI project by conducting several seminars in AI endemically-affected areas of the country, in support to the initial phases of the technology-transfer and utilisation. In so doing, it is suggested that CISCAI and related Indonesian agencies that are involved in AI monitoring and response (i.e. Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture and TPFB Muhammadiyah) work even more closer to determine possible technology integration and retrofitting into their operations and delivery of services. SUSTAINED HUMAN-RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT Continuous and sustained human resource development may also be achieved through the conduct of training of trainers (TOT) programmes. The TOTs are envisioned to take two parallel but complementary pathways. One pathway may focus on further technology-transfer and enhancement of the CISCAI backend systems, which would ensure that the CISCAI technologies are cascaded to technical people and engineers among AMS. The other TOT pathway may involve technology users, as elaborated upon in the previous recommendation. These CISCAI TOT programmes may seek funding from possible international donors or from AMS wishing to adopt the CISCAI-developed technologies. SUSTAINED INFORMATION DISSEMINATION AND AWARENESS ACTIVITIES Likewise, sustained education and information awareness efforts should be pursued at the different levels of the AMS, in order to educate and persuade AMS and international donors on the real strengths, adaptability and applicability of the CISCAI-developed technologies.

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ABOUT

ASEAN FOUNDATION

The ASEAN Foundation is a non-profit ASEAN organ that promotes ASEAN awareness through people-to-people interaction and collaboration with ASEAN stakeholders to help ASEAN build a caring, peaceful, cohesive, and equitable society. The ASEAN Foundation was established by the ASEAN Leaders in December 1997 during ASEAN’s 30th Anniversary Commemorative Summit to help bring about shared prosperity and a sustainable future to all 10 ASEAN Member Countries, namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. To date, the ASEAN FOUNDATION has implemented more than 170 projects. These projects were funded mainly by Japan-ASEAN Solidarity Fund (JASF) and other related donors including governmental, non-governmental organisations, and the private sectors. The projects are regional in nature with the total amount disbursed at USD 20,579,358.57. The project activities ranged from training workshops, scholarship grants, forums, regional forums and meetings, interactive activities and exchanges, seminars and conferences and publicity promotions. These projects and activities have created a sense of ownership towards ASEAN, generated excitement to being part of ASEAN and thus making ASEAN more connected to its people in view towards the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015.

ASEAN Leaders directed ASEAN bodies to “use

the ASEAN FOUNDATION to support activities

and social development programmes aimed at

addressing issues of unequal economic

development, poverty and socio-economic

disparities” and to “support the activities of the

ASEAN FOUNDATION and other available

resources and mechanism to promote ASEAN

awareness among its peoples.”

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GENERAL INQUIRIES

Further information on CISCAI please contact:

The ASEAN Foundation

Jl. Sam Ratulangi No.2, Menteng, Jakarta - 10350, INDONESIA

Phone: +62-21-3192 4828 Fax: +62-21-3192-6078

Email: secretariat@aseanfoundation.org

Web: http://www.aseanfoundation.org