Jakarta, 18 December 2020 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Indonesian Telemedicine Association, a platform of 28 health-related digital applications, on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to boost the telemedicine industry in Indonesia, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MoU was signed virtually by UNDP Resident Representative Norimasa Shimomura ATENSI Chairperson, Prof. Purnawan Junadi, and witnessed by key representatives from the Ministry of Health, and the Indonesian Doctor Association (IDI

More Indonesians will be able to use the telemedicine services following the MOU, which will pave the way for an integrated telemedicine platform in Indonesia. Under the MOU, UNDP and ATENSI will work together to gain verified data and information, as well as advocating the service. The information will lay the groundwork to build the much-needed regulatory ecosystem for telemedicine to flourish.

“The telemedicine industry is still at its infancy. And yet with the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry has become a key factor in helping communities to cope with health issues. There’s so much that we don’t know in terms of data and users’ behaviour, and this presents an exciting learning curve for us to turn this industry into a more viable option for most vulnerable Indonesians seeking affordable and reliable health services,” said Norimasa Shimomura UNDP, Indonesia Resident Representative.

The focus of the MOU is: is (1) evidence-based practice, (2) advocacy to the Indonesian government, and (3) learning and capacity building. The first activity, which involves

an assessment of telemedicine service providers will be implemented in December 2020.

“ATENSI is very pleased to enter the MOU with UNDP. We stand ready to make more meaningful contributions to the development of integrated telemedicine in Indonesia,” Prof. Purnawan said.

The partnership is part of UNDP’s commitment to work with the Government of Indonesia on COVID-recovery and in enhancing the resilience of the health sector. It’s also in line with shared priority of the Government of Indonesia and UNDP to champion innovation and digital technology for the 2030 Agenda achievement.

With more than 17 thousand islands spread across three different time zones, Indonesia's geographical challenges pose a problem for vulnerable communities to access quality health services. Telemedicine could potentially become an alternative platform to serve residents in the country's far flung regions.

The results of the assessment will also serve as recommendations to the Government of Indonesia, as they prepare the draft of regulations concerning telemedicine services in the country.