Strengthening Regional Collaboration for a Future-Ready Health Workforce: Indonesia’s Role in WHO CC Forum Manila 2025
Poltekkes Kemenkes, as a newly designated WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Development, joined the WHO CC Forum to learn from the experience of more established centres and to open doors for collaboration. Through this platform, Poltekkes connects with universities, hospitals, research institutes and other WHO collaborating centres across the Region, exploring concrete opportunities for joint teaching, research and capacity-building that can strengthen nursing and midwifery education and contribute to a more resilient health system in Indonesia and the Western Pacific.
The 5th WHO Collaborating Centres (CC) Forum, held on 4–7 November 2025 in Manila, brought together more than 120 representatives from WHO Collaborating Centres, Ministries of Health, and WHO offices. The forum served as a platform to review progress, strengthen partnerships, align priorities, and enhance the collective contribution of WHO and its CC network at both regional and country levels.
A strong emphasis was placed on innovative partnerships and evidence-based strategies to accelerate health workforce development. Prior to the technical sessions, Indonesia showcased its achievements and ongoing initiatives through a poster presentation, demonstrating the country’s active contribution to the collaborative workstreams of the WHO CC network.
During Session 2 – Workforce Development (“Collaborating for a Future-Ready Health Workforce”), Dr. Anna Kurniati, Director of Health Workforce Provision and Head of the Poltekkes WHO CC Indonesia, co-chaired discussions alongside WHO experts. This session aimed to map current initiatives, explore new collaboration opportunities, and outline coordinated actions for the 2025–2026 work plan. The key insights and common themes that emerged throughout the discussions include:
- Strengthen coordination and synergy between WHO and Collaborating Centers through improved communication, joint planning, and avoidance of duplication.
- Link research to policy and practice, especially in primary health care, climate-resilient and secure health systems, life-course health, and technological innovation.
- Support Member States in building resilient, people-centered, and equitable health systems by advancing evidence generation, capacity development, and innovation—particularly for underserved populations.
- Ensure sustained collaboration through follow-up mechanisms such as implementation plans, monitoring frameworks, and regional peer-learning platforms to drive measurable country-level impact.
The session closed with a shared commitment to move forward with joint regional initiatives led by WHO Collaborating Centres, with particular focus on strengthening data interoperability, expanding digital learning tools, and promoting gender equity within health workforce policies.
“This Forum reaffirms Indonesia’s commitment to regional collaboration. By working together through WHO CCs, we can build a health workforce that is future-ready, equitable, and resilient.” – Dr. Anna Kurniati, Director of Health Workforce Provision, Ministry of Health Indonesia.
Indonesia’s active engagement in the WHO Collaborating Centres forum is ultimately contribute to improve health services for people. By sharing national innovations, contributing technical expertise, and participating in regional initiatives, Indonesia helps to strengthen health workforce systems across the Western Pacific, while at the same time bringing back lessons and good practices that can be adapted for use at home. In the long term, this contributes to a better-trained, better-supported health workforce, which underpins safer, higher-quality and more responsive care for individuals, families and communities throughout Indonesia.
Building on the insights gained through the forum, Poltekkes WHO CC will strengthen the planning and implementation of its upcoming activities, including the Nursing Clinical Instructor programme. The discussions also provided valuable lessons on how established WHO Collaborating Centres govern their partnerships, manage activities and sustain long-term collaboration. These insights will inform Poltekkes’ own governance arrangements as it develops clearer workplans, strengthens coordination with national and regional partners and prepares for future joint initiatives within the WHO CC network.
( Az Zahra Nur Ainiyyah & Luthfiani Syafa, Poltekkes WHO Collaborating Center)