“The experience of various countries and health organizations in dealing with epidemics underscore the importance of transparent data collection systems for access to useful health information that augments the readiness of the government and other stakeholders to face the next pandemic. The various benefits that accrue from such data before, during, and after an outbreak are summarized in Table 1. …
Many questions surround the Indonesian government’s response to COVID-19: has it been adequate and evidence-based, or scattered and reactive without a clear strategy? These concerns about the optimal use of data to inform effective coping strategy for COVID-19 were strengthened on April 13, 2020, when President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, ordered the COVID-19 National Task Force to provide the broadest possible public access to COVID-19 data (22). Previously, the national data trends included only the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, recoveries, and fatalities. There was no information on suspected COVID-19 patients who died. Moreover, the national data trends did not capture demographic and geographical details of the reported cases. Similar patterns of incomplete data also occurred at the provincial and district levels, which harmed the efficacy of policy initiatives at the local level….
In conclusion, as illustrated in Table 1, failing to translate raw data into useful information for public consumption will hamper the development of science-based approaches to control disease outbreaks. Indonesia may not derive maximum benefit from its experience of tackling the COVID-19 pandemic as lessons learned are not documented and will likely be overlooked. The Government of Indonesia, especially the Indonesian Ministry of Health, should begin to manage COVID-19 data properly and provide unfettered public and academic access to the raw data for transparency. Importantly, it should allow the analysis of this data to inform current and future public health responses.”