The world has been in a dark alley throughout 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic that has hit many countries has not subsided and it is unclear when it will end.
By
EVY RACHMAWATI / YOVITA ARIKA
·4 minutes read
Kompas
Indonesian President Joko Widodo wearing a protective mask and face shield talks as he inspects the third phase trial for COVID-19 vaccine in Bandung, Indonesia, August 11, 2020.
The world has been in a dark alley throughout 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic that has hit many countries has not subsided and it is unclear when it will end. In the global fight against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, about 73.92 million people were infected and 1.64 million people died as of Wednesday (16/12/2020).In Indonesia, according to the latest data provided by the Covid-19 Handling Task Force, Covid-19 cases have reached 636,154 with 19,248 deaths. The number of Covid-19 cases in Indonesia is ranked 19th in the world and the highest in Southeast Asia, while the number of deaths in the country is ranked the 17th largest in the world.
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted all aspects of life and no country was ready to face it. This condition will hamper the target to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. Restoration steps are needed so that inequality will not further widen and no one is left behind in development.
The health crisis has disrupted economic and social activities due to the imposition of social restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The pandemic has caused many residents to lose some of their income, and some have even lost their incomes entirely. As a result, the number of the poor people is predicted to increase.
Although it is not the only trigger, the pandemic has caused an increase in the poverty rate.
In its “Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report” published in October, the World Bank projects a surge in the global poverty rate to 7.9 percent by 2020, with an additional 88 million-115 million people falling into extreme poverty by 2020. Although it is not the only trigger, the pandemic has caused an increase in the poverty rate.
AFP/BAY ISMOYO
An employee works on the production line of COVID-19 coronavirus vaccines at the Bio Farma Pharmacy, which will produce the vaccine early next year with a production capacity of 250 million vaccines a year, in Bandung, West Java on August 12, 2020. - Indonesia on August 11 launched human trials of a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine with some 1,600 volunteers slated to take part in the six-month study.
In Indonesia, the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) also projects an increase in the number of poor people in 2020. As many as 10.86 percent of the population will live below the poverty line or higher than the figure published by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) in September 2019, which was 9.22 percent.
The pressure caused by the pandemic on the Indonesian health system has also shown how fragile the national health system is. This can be seen from the limitations of health facilities, human resources and medical devices. The ability to examine and trace cases as well as the capacity to isolate and treat patients is also limited.
Hope in 2021
Amid the gloomy outlook, there is hope of ending the crisis through the Covid-19 vaccination. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said on Wednesday (16/12 that the Covid-19 vaccines would be free of charge for all Indonesian residents.
However, the good news should not catch us off guard against the use of health protocols.
Moreover, the third phase clinical trial of the Sinovac vaccine in Indonesia has not been completed and there are reports of technical obstacles related to vaccines.
Interestingly, even though the Covid-19 pandemic has created vulnerabilities, tremendous human resource potential has emerged. The pandemic-driven digital transformation is driving the ability to adopt and innovate.
KOMPAS/ADITYA DIVERANTA
A number of workers on Jalan Haji Agus Salim, Central Jakarta, left the office during lunch break on Wednesday (22/7/2020). During the Covid-19 Pandemic, some of them were nervous about the emergence of a contagion cluster in the office area.
The Directorate of Higher Education at the Education and Culture Ministry recorded about 1,000 innovations made by a number of universities in the country during the pandemic. Lecturers and students have been encouraged to conduct research and innovation related to Covid-19 during the pandemic.
The closure of schools to prevent Covid-19 transmission has also encouraged teachers to adapt and make learning innovations in order to ensure the continuity of students\' education. Their present challenge is to overcome obstacles and incapability in digital transformation faced by students.
The cooperation could be carried out in the form of teachers’ visits to children who have problems with distance learning and in maintaining children\'s enthusiasm for learning while studying at home.
Collaboration between schools, parents and the community is needed to provide a pleasant learning experience. The cooperation could be carried out in the form of teachers’ visits to children who have problems with distance learning and in maintaining children\'s enthusiasm for learning while studying at home.
The main challenge is to not let children from poor families get left behind in their education due to the pandemic. Threats of violence and dropping out overshadow them because of their family\'s socio-economic factors.
In short, the pandemic shows that Indonesia is capable of producing health products of economic value. A number of innovations to cope with Covid-19 have been produced during the pandemic. The coordination which is a chronic problem in research and innovation in Indonesia can be overcome. With a clear command, the programs can be well implemented.
Collaboration in various fields can be done because there is a common vision of accelerating the handling of Covid-19. By working together, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is not impossible.
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