Enhancing Avian Influenza Surveillance in Surabaya

Surrounded by stacked chicken cages and two steaming pots of hot water, Vicky, the owner of a family-run poultry stall at Tambahrejo Market, shares his family’s resilient journey in the poultry business. “Our business was safe from the avian influenza outbreak in 2003,” he recalls. “We had nothing to worry about.” But his understanding of the industry’s risks and resilience is shaped by the aftermath of H5N1 – a disease that once ravaged poultry farms across Asia, leading to the death of millions of birds.

Although Vicky was only three years old during the outbreak, the lessons from that crisis continue to influence Indonesia’s proactive approach to zoonotic diseases. Today, this vigilance manifests itself through new initiatives aimed at bolstering disease surveillance in places like the bustling Tambahrejo Market.

The One Health Initiative in Action

The One Health initiative, steered by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with various health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was launched in five cities from July 28 to August 1, 2025. Its primary goal is to enhance the early detection and response mechanisms for avian influenza and other zoonotic diseases that pose threats at the animal-human interface. Surabaya, a major transit hub for poultry, was selected as one of the pilot locations.

^{Vicky (25) has operated his family’s stall at Tambahrejo Market since 2015, carrying on a tradition started by his mother over forty years ago. (WHO/Fieni Aprilia)}

Understanding the Human-Animal-Environment Interface

While Vicky’s stall maintains a clear separation between butchering and sales, many areas of Tambahrejo Market blur those lines, with stagnant water, poultry remains, and refuse posing significant disease risks. To profile these risks, the surveillance initiative collects samples from human, animal, and environmental sources, allowing health officials to detect early signs of avian influenza and other diseases.

“The biggest challenge is when sellers refuse sampling due to fears of negative impacts on their sales,” explains Tika Fiona Sari, an environmental health officer from Salatiga. “If results are positive, it could deter customers and harm their livelihoods.” This paradox of surveillance — a tool for outbreak detection that can simultaneously threaten economic stability — complicates the initiative’s success.

^{Drh Romadhony Arif from the Surabaya City Food and Agriculture Agency conducts early morning surveillance at Keputran Market. (WHO/Fieni Aprilia)}

Drh Romadhony Arif, also involved in the surveillance efforts, highlights the need to adapt sampling schedules to fit traders’ busy hours. “It’s challenging, but we’ve found ways to make it work,” he notes. The early-morning sampling yielded promising results: 53 human blood samples, three nose and throat swabs, along with 106 poultry swabs and 46 environmental samples were collected.

Community Protection and Sustainable Livelihoods

Vicky supports the surveillance efforts, understanding that early detection can protect both communities and his business. He remains vigilant, noting, “If chickens die suddenly, we know we need to be cautious. My concern is always present, but we try to maintain clean practices as best as we can.”

^{The surveillance teams diligently engage in documenting their findings and collecting samples during the One Health surveillance initiative in Surabaya’s poultry markets. (WHO/Fieni Aprilia)}

Ensuring community safety while safeguarding livelihoods is essential. The One Health approach fosters collaboration across human, animal, and environmental health sectors, leading to quicker responses and effective coordination in managing potential health threats.

For Vicky and countless others in Surabaya’s markets, navigating the intersection of poultry management and public health is a routine yet critical part of life. Their livelihoods, and the health of the communities they serve, depend on it.

This initiative is supported by the Ministry of Health, with technical guidance from WHO Indonesia and funding provided under the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework.

Source: WHO