SEAOHUN Fellowship: From Eastern Horizon of Indonesia to See a Bigger World

“The One Health concept taught me to work globally, even in a remote area. Using a trans-disciplinary methodology, like One Health, has helped address many questions in solving today’s health problems.” - Clara Imaniar

Clara, who works for the Center for Papua Health Research & Development, was selected as a fellow under the SEAOHUN 2021 Fellowship Program. Working in a remote area with limited resources is one reason why Clara applied for the fellowship. She would like to enhance her skills to improve her work, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. She believes that scientific research and a good approach play a critical role in providing excellent health services in the communities she serves.

Clara also supported a joint study conducted by Eijkman Institute and the Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar. The study was carried out for one month involving 10 medical doctors from the Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University who served as enumerators. The study focused on the attitudes and behavior of the people from South Sulawesi in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Clara was involved in drafting questionnaires, conducting field studies and processing data together with staff from EVRU, Eijkman Institute and Hasanuddin University Faculty of Medicine. At the end of this field study, she analyzed the data together with Mr. Ungke Antonjaya, from EVRU, and planned to publish their findings.

Clara’s fellowship was a very valuable experience for her to expand her knowledge, and also an opportunity to expand her network. The knowledge and connections gained will contribute to building a better health system, especially for the people of Papua, Indonesia.