JAKARTA – Scientific evidence and operational best practices regarding the integration of community health volunteers in Papua have earned national recognition. Three abstracts co-authored by representatives from the SHIELD PAPUA platform and the Indonesian Catholic Health Conference (PERDHAKI) have been officially accepted for presentation at the Leimena Conference 2026 - Indonesia Primary Health Care Scientific Meeting, organized by the Directorate General of Primary and Community Health, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, on 27–29 July 2026 at the BRIN Auditorium, Jakarta.

The three accepted papers synthesize critical insights from the feasibility and implementation assessment of the PERKASA Cadre Program (Penguatan Kader untuk Integrasi Layanan Primer di Tanah Papua). Supported by the Global Fund, this pilot project trained community health volunteers to simultaneously manage three priority infectious diseases—Malaria, HIV, and Tuberculosis (TB)—across remote areas in Jayapura, Nabire, and Merauke. This model shifts community health cadres from single-disease approaches into integrated primary care connectors.

The details of the accepted abstracts and their presentation formats include:

Digital Poster Category (Scientific Research):

Title: Kader Terintegrasi sebagai Penghubung Pelayanan Primer: Pelajaran dari Implementasi Program Kader PERKASA di Tanah Papua (Integrated Cadres as Primary Care Connectors: Lessons from the Implementation of the PERKASA Cadre Program in Papua)

Lead Author: Lenny L. Ekawati (SHIELD PAPUA / OUCRU Indonesia)

Participation: Accepted for display in the Digital Poster session.

Oral Presentation Category (Best Practice):

Title: Dari Implementasi Menuju Kebijakan: Pelajaran Program PERKASA untuk Penguatan Integrasi Layanan Primer di Indonesia (From Implementation to Policy: Lessons from the PERKASA Program for Strengthening Primary Care Integration in Indonesia)

Lead Author: Rivaldi (PERDHAKI)

Participation: Selected for an in-person Oral Presentation.

Conference Proceeding Category (Best Practice):

Title: Dari Kader Program ke Kader Terintegrasi: Pengembangan Kapasitas untuk Mendukung Integrasi Layanan Primer di Tanah Papua (From Program-Specific Cadres to Integrated Cadres: Capacity Building to Support Primary Care Integration in Papua)

Lead Author: Rivaldi (PERDHAKI)

Participation: Published in the official scientific proceedings of Leimena Conference 2026.

Key assessment findings highlight that the PERKASA cadres enjoy strong community trust and have demonstrated effectiveness in delivering cross-disease health education, screening, and integrated referrals. Despite operational challenges related to geographic access, transport logistics, and the need for sustained supervision, the integrated model proved viable in underserved settings.

The inclusion of these studies underscores the direct alignment between field implementation in Papua and the national Primary Health Care Transformation (ILP) agenda promoted by the Ministry of Health. Through ongoing collaboration between SHIELD PAPUA, PERDHAKI, and development partners, these evidence-based insights will help shape equitable and resilient community health policies across Eastern Indonesia.