SHIELD PAPUA (Strengthening Health Initiatives for Eliminating Infectious Diseases in Papua) is an integrated precision public health framework designed to strengthen how infectious diseases are detected, anticipated, and controlled across Papua. Implemented as a multi-year initiative, SHIELD PAPUA progressively strengthens data foundations, predictive capacity, and institutional adoption across the region.
Papua presents one of the most complex infectious disease environments in the region. Remote terrain, dispersed populations, diverse ecologies, and unequal access to care create highly localised and rapidly changing transmission patterns that cannot be addressed through one-size-fits-all interventions.
These realities require culturally and contextually grounded strategies, high-resolution spatial evidence, climate-informed risk forecasting and close collaboration with local systems and communities. SHIELD PAPUA was designed specifically for these challenges.
Our Vision
Papua where infectious disease control is guided by timely, high-quality insights that enable equitable, efficient, and locally grounded health decisions for every community.
Our Mission
SHIELD PAPUA designs and embeds the core components of a precision public health system, including:
- local context and community insights
- integrated surveillance and a shared public health data bank
- predictive and climate-informed risk forecasting
- decision science and optimisation tools
- implementation within routine health services
- continuous evaluation and innovation
Together, these components form a continuous analytical cycle that translates data into action and supports sustained improvements in infectious disease control.
Ethics Approval
SHIELD PAPUA has received ethics approval from the Health Research Ethics Committee FKUI–RSCM and the Oxford Tropical Research Ethics Committee (OxTREC). The FKUI–RSCM approval was granted under protocol number 25-03-0340 and has been extended until 25 May 2027 (Reference: S-412/UN2.F1/ETIK/PPM.00.02/2026). OxTREC approval was granted under application ID 2523467 until 11 December 2030. All research activities follow approved ethical procedures, including informed consent, confidentiality protection, and culturally sensitive engagement with communities in Papua.
Funding
SHIELD PAPUA would like to express our sincere appreciation to Oxford University, Wellcome Trust, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, Strategic Partnership for Prevention, Surveillance and Response to Infectious Diseases across the Indo-Pacific Region (SPARKLE), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Indonesia, World Health Organization (WHO), Persatuan Karya Dharma Kesehatan Indonesia (PERDHAKI), Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA), Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN), and the National University of Singapore for their valuable support and collaboration. This initiative has been made possible through shared commitment, technical partnership, and collective efforts to strengthen infectious disease prevention, surveillance, and response in Tanah Papua.
Our Symbol
The SHIELD PAPUA emblem.
The SHIELD PAPUA logo reflects a collective commitment to eliminating infectious diseases through science, data, and deep respect for local knowledge, culture, and context.
- The Bipane: At its centre are three Bipane symbols, traditional ornaments worn by Papuan customary leaders to signify moments of resolve and unity. Positioned upward, they represent a shared commitment to fight and act together in eliminating infectious diseases from Papua.
- The Shield and Spear: The shield and spear represent the complementary strategies of precision public health. The shield symbolises protection through prevention, resilient health systems, and strengthened community capacity. The spear represents targeted, evidence-based interventions informed by surveillance, data integration, and geospatial analysis.
- The 42 Gems: Surrounding the emblem are 42 gem shapes representing the districts and municipalities across Papua. These forms reflect SHIELD PAPUA's commitment to equitable, province-wide coverage, ensuring that resources reach communities with the greatest need.
Together, the emblem expresses SHIELD PAPUA’s core principle: integrating scientific evidence with geocultural knowledge to translate information into action and strengthen health systems across Papua.
