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.
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.
Why Papua?
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.
Leadership
SHIELD PAPUA is founded and led by Dr. Iqbal Elyazar, a Precision Public Scientist specialising in geospatial epidemiology, biostatistics, health informatics and infectious diseases analytics.
He develops and leads integrated intelligence systems that combine spatial analytics, surveillance, local insights, and decision science to translate complex evidence into practical strategies for governments, frontline health teams and communities. Under his leadership, SHIELD PAPUA functions both as a scientific engine and as an operational infrastructure embedded within routine health services across 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 act together in protecting communities from infectious diseases.
- 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.
