• Sector:
  Health
• Project name:
  Indonesian/Australian Specialised Training Project Phase II (IASTP) & Extension: Drug information Short Course
• Country:
  Indonesia
• Project location:
  Bandung, Mataram, Jakarta, Kupang, Makassar, Medan
• Name of client:
  AusAID

Description of project:
The Drug Information Short Course was designed to assist local authorities and program facilitators to develop practical ways of addressing the many problems associated with drug use in Indonesia. The course was designed to assist participants from varied backgrounds to understand the impact of drug-related problems on Indonesian society and to address issues related to drug use in their community, especially amongst young people. In response to the multi-faceted nature of these problems, including medical, psychosocial, legal, economic and cultural aspects at the individual, group, community and societal level, a variety of strategies inclusive of many sectors of government and community are necessary to be effective. The workshops were delivered to community leaders, police, relevant government staff, health, social and welfare professionals and NGO staff working with drug use issues and HIV/AIDS in these cities and surrounding regional areas in the province.

Services provided:
This program was designed to provide practical support to participants to develop and implement successful plans to respond to drug-related problems, using evidence-based approaches that have proved effective in Australia and other countries. Best practice examples from Australia and from other Asian nations were used to illustrate these approaches. Presentations were designed to maximise their relevance to the current situation in Indonesia. While a range of interventions - including various harm reduction activities - were described from developed and developing countries, emphasis was placed on interventions that have been shown to be effective in Indonesia. Presentations and workshops included overviews of the drug situation in Indonesia; extensive descriptions of drugs, their effects, ways they are used; frameworks for considering ways to address drug use and details of specific interventions to generate prevention programs; and coordination of responses to the problem. The course included lectures, role-plays and group work. Two specialist interpreters/ tutors (Indonesian nationals) provided interpretation and tutorial support throughout the workshop program. Participants produced action plans in Bahasa Indonesia. All workshop materials including overhead transparencies (OHTs) and background papers were translated into Bahasa Indonesia.