Seri kelima dalam Webinar SEATALK Pusat Studi Asia Tenggara Universitas Gadjah Mada yang dilaksanakan pada Kamis, 12 Mei 2020. Webinar ini mengundang Dr. Siddharta Chandra dari Michigan State University, USA dan Sumadi Lukman Anwar, MD., Ph.D, FKKMK UGM

Lessons from the 1918 influenza pandemic for the COVID-19 pandemic and Experience from Cancer Navigation in Indonesia

“1918 inlfluenza pandemic is the mother virus which gave birth to major global pandhemic which had taken the lives of millions of people worldwide”, said Prof. Siddarth Candra, an epidimiolgist in the WEBINAR series of South East Asia Talk, organized by the Centre of Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS), Universitas Gadjah Mada, a center of excellence in social science under the Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education since 2016. This Webinar 36# was a cooperation between CESASS and the American Institute of Indonesian Studies (AIFIS), State University of Michigan, USA.

Not many knew that the 1918 influenza pandemic had taken more or less 50.000.000 million people worldwide. In Indonesia, the pandemic took a very heavy toll in terms of loss of life.[1] The reduction in population due to the pandemic, which includes increased deaths and lowered births, exceeded 4 million. While the COVID-19 pandemic has not taken as many lives to date, there are nevertheless many parallels between the 1918 pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic today. For example, both illnesses are caused by a virus, for which there is no known cure. As a result, today, we are using the same kinds of measures to prevent the spread of the disease as people took in 1918 to prevent the spread of the influenza. This includes paying close attention to personal hygiene, social distancing, and avoiding travel and large gatherings of people.

Even though COVID-19 is highly contagious and cannot be cured today, there are many reasons why Indonesia’s experience with COVID-19 may end up being very different from the experience with the 1918 influenza. First, communication today is much more rapid than it was in 1918. As a result, Indonesians are in a position to share experiences and best practices with each other and with people around the world as well as to learn from the best practices and experiences of others. For example, by the time COVID-19 arrived in Indonesia, the government and large segments of the population had already heard about the experience of China, where the disease originated, and were prepared to take steps to prevent the spread of the disease. In 1918, when the influenza arrived in Java, most people were completely unaware of the disease. We also learned very rapidly that COVID-19 affects older people more severely, and were prepared to take extreme precautions to prevent them from falling ill. The 1918 influenza affected people between the ages of 20 and 40 the most severely, but there was little awareness of this fact while Indonesia was experiencing the pandemic. We also know that social distancing can be very beneficial in preventing the rapid spread of COVID-19, and have rapidly implemented measures to maintain social-distancing practices. This is especially important in crowded areas, of which there are many in Indonesia.

The most important reason to be optimistic about the global experience with COVID-19 is that we are technologically much better prepared to confront a viral pandemic today than we were in 1918. In 1918, scientists were debating the most basic questions about influenza, including whether it was caused by a virus or a bacterium. When COVID-19 arrived, we were able to sequence the genetic code of the virus within a few weeks. Today, based on that and other kinds of scientific knowledge, over 100 different candidates for vaccines are being developed and tested. In addition to the possibility of having a vaccine within the next year, we have the ability to test people for the presence of the virus and to quarantine them if necessary. We have communication technology with which we can trace contacts of infected people and quarantine them, thereby preventing the spread of the disease. In hospitals, we have ventilators to help severely ill patients breathe as their bodies fight the virus. None of these options was available during the 1918 influenza pandemic.

Also at the same important, is the latest study of the navigation of cancer surgery care in limited-resource countries during COVID-19 pandemic by Sumadi Lukman Anwar, MD, PhD from the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada. In this presentation he shared over the complexity in the health system in Indonesia especially the treatment for patients who have problem with cancer. Amid the huge gravity of Covid-19 and amid the government protocol in eliminating the spread of this pandemic, he argued that specific considerations should still be undertaken as counterbalance between on the one side preventing COVID-19 transmission and on the other side also preserving patients’ long-term life expectancy.

For all of the above reasons, in their closing statement, both scholars highlighted that today experience with COVID-19 is likely to be very different and complex.  However, while we wait for the development of a vaccine or, better still, a cure, we need to remember that there are still millions of people who remain susceptible to COVID-19. The virus that causes this illness is novel, and our immune systems have not yet developed the ability to fight it. As a result, keeping these populations safe while gradually opening the economy up to provide livelihoods to millions of people is going to be an ongoing challenge until we can develop a vaccine or a cure for COVID-19.

This webinar series was moderated by Dr. phil. Vissia Ita Yulianto (CESASS) who extended the call that the task to combat the spread of Covid- 19 should not only be shouldered on the government intervention and medical workers but must also be realized by collective awareness from the public to obey the protocol from the government.

Penulis:

Pusat Studi Sosial Asia Tenggara (PSSAT) UGM

[1] Chandra, Siddharth. 2013. “Mortality from the influenza pandemic of 1918-19 in Indonesia,” Population Studies 67(2):85-93. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00324728.2012.754486

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25kXl_tY-xk[/embedyt]

Seri keempat dalam Webinar SEATALK Pusat Studi Asia Tenggara Universitas Gadjah Mada yang dilaksanakan pada Selasa, 28 April 2020. Webinar ini mengundang Prof. Bambang Hari Wibisono, Kepala Pusat Studi Perencanaan Pembangunan UGM dan Prof. Sigit Riyanto, Dekan Fakultas Hukum UGM.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2By-Xkd9RM[/embedyt]

Seri ketiga dalam Webinar SEATALK Pusat Studi Asia Tenggara Universitas Gadjah Mada yang dilaksanakan pada Selasa, 21 April 2020. Webinar ini mengundang I Gusti Agung Made Wardana Ph.D dari Departemen Hukum Lingkungan, Fakultas Hukum UGM dan Dr. Aprinus Salam M.Hum, Kepala Pusat Studi Kebudayaan UGM.

RELASI SOSIAL – EKOLOGIS DAN KENORMALAN BARU

“Setelah berakhirnya pandemi Covid-19, kemungkinan akan kembali ke skenario business as usual atau munculnya kenormalan-kenormalan baru karena belum ada bahasan mengenai bagaimana seharusnya membangun relasi sosial dan ekologis,” tutur I Gusti Agung Made Wardana, Ph.D. dalam webinar SEATALK #34 yang diselenggarakan oleh Pusat Studi Sosial Asia Tenggara (PSSAT) UGM pada hari Selasa (11/04/2020).

Diskusi webinar dengan topik Pandemi Covid-19 dalam Teropong Ilmu Sosial menghadirkan dua pembicara, yaitu I Gusti Agung Made Wardana, Ph.D. (Departemen Hukum Lingkungan Fakultas Hukum UGM) dan Dr. Aprinus Salam, M.Hum. (Kepala Pusat Studi Kebudayaan UGM). Covid-19 merupakan zoonosis sehingga tidak dapat dilepaskan dari relasi sosial dengan ekologis.

Agung secara runtut menyoroti kondisi manusia dengan alam pada saat sebelum pandemi, saat pandemi, dan pasca-pandemi. Menurut teori The Great Acceleration, dapat dilihat bagaimana laju kehilangan hutan di Kalimantan sejak tahun 1973 hingga 2020. Hilangnya hutan secara tidak langsung merupakan bermula dari tidak berfungsinya hukum lingkungan secara maksimal. Akibatnya, habitat alami satwa liar mengalami perusakan yang diikuti dengan perdagangan satwa liar yang memungkinkan terjadinya perpindahan penyakit dari satwa liar ke tubuh manusia. Dahulu, satwa liar dimanfaatkan dalam bidang pengobatan tradisional China, namun kini pemanfaatannya meluas hingga ke ranah kuliner dan fashion.

Indonesia merupakan pemasok satwa liar ke pasar dunia, termasuk trenggiling. Perdagangan ilegal satwa liar dari Jawa ke China sudah dimulai sejak tahun 1925. Pada tahun 2015-2018 di Indonesia terdapat 23 kasus perdagangan ilegal trenggiling berjumlah lebih dari 3.300 ekor dengan tujuan utama China. Data ini membuktikan bahwa Indonesia memiliki kontribusi secara tidak langsung bagi kemunculan Covid-19 karena Indonesia telah gagal mencegah laju perdagangan ilegal satwa liar ke tingkat dunia.

Pada saat terjadi pandemi, kebijakan lockdown dan physical distancing yang lazim diterapkan, berimbas pada menurunnya polusi dan pencemaran sehingga ada perbaikan lapisan ozon. Akan tetapi, di sisi lain terjadi penundaan penegakan hukum lingkungan yang dapat berdampak pada peningkatan kejahatan lingkungan oleh lemahnya pengawasan, mengesampingkan instrumen pencegahan kerusakan lingkungan, dan peningkatan sampah (plastik, medis, deterjen, dan lain sebagainya). Pasca-pandemi Covie-19, Agung menegaskan bahwa konsep reorientasi untuk menjaga keseimbangan manusia dengan alam sangat diperlukan untuk mencegah pandemi-pandemi pada masa mendatang. Selanjutnya, ketertinggalan ekonomi dapat dikejar.

Dr. Aprinus Salam menuturkan bahwa pandemi Covid-19 membawa dampak pada normalisasi-normalisasi baru tentang kehidupan dan kematian. Pandemi ini membuat kehidupan berubah. Ada normalisasi baru, seperti berkegiatan dari rumah, berkomunikasi dari rumah, dan tidak perlu berkontak fisik. Pun ada normalisasi baru tentang kematian.

“Pandemi Covid-19 ini adalah uji coba kita, dunia kehidupan seperti apa yang akan kita alami pada masa mendatang,” tutur Dr. Aprinus Salam.

Setiap kelas dalam masyarakat memiliki parameter normalisasi kehidupan dan kematian yang berbeda yang membentuk konfigurasi tataran kebudayaan dalam tingkat dunia. Lebih lanjut, Dr. Aprinus Salam menambahkan bahwa kebudayaan harus di-rethinking atau dikaji ulang karena ada potensi terbentuknya kesetimbangan new normal. Selama ini strategi budaya di dunia bisa berjalan dengan hal-hal yang tidak selalu material, tetapi juga denga hal yang tak kasat mata. Diperlukan strategi-strategi kebudayaan masa mendatang untuk mendapatkan kesetimbangan. Harus ada keseimbangan antara pencipta, manusia, alam, dan aspek lain utk ke depannya. Ketika hidup seimbang, maka hidup dinilai normal.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OBy5cnry9Y[/embedyt]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2waWjFvnK0E[/embedyt]

Seri kedua dalam Webinar SEATALK Pusat Studi Asia Tenggara Universitas Gadjah Mada yang dilaksanakan pada Selasa, 14 April 2020. Webinar ini mengundang Dr. Dewi Haryani dari PSKK UGM, Drs. Muhadi Sugiono dari Departemen Hubungan Internasional UGM, dan Prof. Jian-Bang Deng dari Tamkang University.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gMoWPGKOsg[/embedyt]

Seri pertama dalam Webinar SEATALK Pusat Studi Asia Tenggara Universitas Gadjah Mada yang dilaksanakan pada Kamis, 9 April 2020. Webinar ini mengundang Anis Fuad S.Ked, DEA. dari Departemen Epidemiologi Biostatik dari Kesehatan Populasi FKKMK UGM dan Drs. Kurniawan Kunto Yuliarso dari Departemen Komunikasi FISIPOL UGM.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRHyv-WGtng[/embedyt]

The Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESSAS) UGM held SEA TALK #31 “Digital Literacies of Indonesian Secondary Students: What Have We Learned” with Jayne C. Lammers, Ph.D (University of Rochester USA) and Puji Astuti, Ph. D (UNNES). The research presentation on Friday (07/02/2020) was welcomed enthusiastically by the participants in an interactive discussion.

In this monthly discussion, Lammers and Puji explained the results of their latest research on digital literacy in the learning of Indonesian secondary students. Research under the FULLBRIGHT program from the United States government has been started since September 2019. There were 618 student respondents from 3 junior high schools and 4 senior high schools from city and districts in Semarang. The focus is on teaching Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the classroom. In their presentation, the two researchers explained that the study was conducted with a collective case study of explanations using a mixed-method.

Lammers and Puji explained that there were many surprising findings during the 5 months of the study. “We were surprised to know that what are taught in schools is different from what students expect. For example, students are taught about hardware and Microsoft offices, whereas what they expect is greater. Like coding, making applications, games, to video editing,” said Lammers, lecturer, and researcher from the United States.

At the end of the presentation, the two researchers hoped that their findings, along with the proposed research topics, could be continued into new researchs by Indonesian participants and researchers. “Of course we hope that the results of this study can become policy recommendations for better Indonesian education,” added Puji.

SEA Talk is a monthly discussion forum that discusses historical, social, political, economic, cultural, technological and human rights issues in Southeast Asia. CESSAS UGM routinely invites researchers and academics to share knowledge and is open to be attended by the public. With a forum that has a variety of topics and scientific perspectives, CESSAS hopes that the public can be better prepared to face the complexities of life in the future, especially those related to the existence of Indonesia as a community in Southeast Asia.

SEA Talk #26 “Indonesia-Austria Bilateral Relation” with Simon Gorski (University of Vienna) at CESASS UGM Library (18/09/19). Thank you for your participation and see you at our next event!

SEA Talk #25 “Futures Studies and Social Sciences: The Future We Want” with Prof. Dr. Jian-bang Deng, a Professor of Sociology at the Graduate Institute of Futures Studies (GIFS) of Tamkang University at CESASS UGM Library (02/07/19).Thank you for your participation and see you at our next event!

On Tuesday (9/10/18), Eva Rapoport from the College of Religious Studies of Mahidol University attended the PSSAT UGM Library to provide material about What Can Be Learned from Jathilan? An Outsider’s Perspective on A Popular Folk Dance in SEA Talk # 24.

On Friday (9/21/18), Dr. Alfi Rahman from the Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Center (TDMRC) of Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh attended the UGM PSSAT Library to provide material about Communicating Disaster Risk in Enhancing Community Resilience: Lesson Learned from Simeulue Island, Aceh in SEA Talk # 23.

In his presentation, Dr. Alfi argues that on Simeulue Island, Aceh, residents have their own preventive measures to prevent tsunamis being based on their local wisdom. The local wisdom is in the form of songs which in the lyrics contain prevention of tsunamis. Evidently, in the past December 26, 2004 Aceh Tsunami, only a small number of residents on the island of Simeulue, Aceh were victims, even though their area was included in the affected area.