Gov’t Rolls Out Two Apps to Prevent, Handle COVID-19

Infographics on Village Volunteers in the Village Against COVID-19. (Source: Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration).

The Government has launched two mobile applications that aim to prevent and handle COVID-19, as well as to deal with public health matters.

According to Minister of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Abdul Halim Iskandar, the two mobile applications in question are the Village Against COVID-19 (Desa Melawan COVID-19 app) and e-Human Development Worker (e-HDW app).

Abdul also said the Desa Melawan COVID-19 app is developed to support COVID-19 handling protocol as stipulated in a Circular of Minister of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Number 8 of 2020 on the COVID-19 Response Village and the Village Cash Labor Intensive Assertion.

This mobile app, he said, will assist village volunteers in providing education and information regarding COVID-19 outbreak to the public.

The app will also help the volunteers in collecting real-time data on the spread and the impact of COVID-19 to the community as well as to facilitate the volunteers in reporting process over village conditions during the outbreak.

“The public can access various COVID-19 prevention materials through the app because village volunteers will update weekly and monthly reports. The real-time data also can be accessed by village administrations, regional governments, and the Central Government for policy-making related to COVID-19 prevention and handling in regions,” Abdul said, Wednesday (13/5).

In the meantime, the second mobile app, e-HDW, aims to ensure community nutrition intervention during the ongoing pandemic.

“Amid the current condition of the COVID-19 outbreak, it is important to continue the first thousand days of life services (hari pertama kehidupan) to every family to accelerate the scale-up of food and nutrition action in tackling stunting. The app will assist the Human Development Cadres (KPM) in monitoring and supporting the increasing convergence of Nutrition Interventions to Families of 1,000 HPK,” the Minister said.

The Minister further said that two newly-launched mobile apps, which are supported by the World Bank, is expected to be useful optimally.

“We hope these two mobile apps can continue to be utilized to the full by fulfilling and carrying out orders in both apps so that various measures to fight against COVID-19 and stunting in the villages can be taken,” the Minister added. (PR of PDTT Ministry / EN)

Translated by: Syarifah Aisyah
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas