People and research for better health across the Timor Sea

Research is often thought of as happening in abstract, remotely in a lab or at desk overwhelmed with journal articles and books. Rather, like ocean navigators of old, our health research community chartered little known territory for the research and ideas they carried with them, connecting across the Timor Sea to explore and drive change […]

Health promotion: young people are here and ready to engage

Nada Alichiah Hasan-Viljakainen is a young Indonesian woman and an advocate for healthier living. She was a youth representative at the AIC’s ‘Youth are our Future’ forum in Jakarta in September 2018. As a young adult, I am passionate about better health and wellbeing for myself, my generation and today’s children. I am concerned about how […]

“Little did I know initiating the bill was only 5% of the process”: Waiting in vain for follow-up on Indonesia’s Mental Health Law

Dr Nova Riyanti Yusuf is a Member of Parliament (2009-2014, 2018-2019), a psychiatrist, and the head of the Jakarta Psychiatric Association. She recently attended AIC Health’s mental health roundtable in Jakarta, and kindly agreed to reflect on her experiences as a lawmaker and mental health advocate.   I didn’t expect to be left ‘waiting in […]

Roundtable feeds building momentum for better mental health and wellbeing in Indonesia

With global attention on mental health in October, a diverse group of individuals all focused on improving the mental health of Indonesia’s young people came together in Jakarta recently, and exciting opportunities for stronger advocacy emerged. A roundtable around mental health data needs for Indonesian adolescents was hosted by the Health Cluster of the Australia-Indonesia Centre […]