Jakarta, 22 June 2026: ERIA, in collaboration with Indonesia’s Ministry of Health (MoH), convened the final Technical Working Group (TWG) Workshop for the National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL), marking a major milestone in the country’s efforts to strengthen diagnostic services and improve access to quality laboratory testing.

Supported by the World Health Organization Country Office (WHO WCO) Indonesia and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), the workshop brought together representatives from professional associations, academic institutions, public health and laboratory experts, and development partners to review and validate the draft NEDL document prior to its official endorsement by the MoH.

The workshop followed an earlier verification meeting to ensure that the proposed recommendations were evidence-based, technically sound, and feasible for implementation across all levels of Indonesia’s healthcare system. The NEDL was developed through a collaborative process led by the MoH and ERIA, drawing on disease burden assessments, national clinical guidelines, diagnostic capacity reviews, and the WHO Model List of Essential Diagnostics (EDL), adapted to Indonesia’s context.

Opening the workshop, Elvieda Sariwati reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to finalising the NEDL and thanked all partners for their support. She noted that the document will serve as a key reference for laboratory testing in Indonesia and help improve the quality and consistency of diagnostic services nationwide.

Representing ERIA, Manami Uechi highlighted the strong collaboration amongst the MoH, WHO, FIND, the Japan Institute for Health Security, and other stakeholders throughout the development process. She reaffirmed ERIA’s commitment to supporting ASEAN Member States in strengthening health systems, advancing Universal Health Coverage, and promoting regional self-reliance in diagnostics.

A technical presentation by Hiroyuki Kiyohara outlined the development of the NEDL under the ASEAN Essential Diagnostics List Initiative, a regional effort to improve access to essential diagnostics and strengthen health security across ASEAN. Aligned with the WHO EDL and regional initiatives such as ASEAN Diagnostic Security and Self-Reliance and the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases, AEDLI supports countries in identifying diagnostic gaps, improving procurement and reporting systems, and enhancing preparedness for public health emergencies.

Tiffany Tiara Pakasi presented an update on the NEDL development process, noting that the Indonesian NEDL includes 81 standardised testing parameters developed through extensive stakeholder consultations, technical discussions, evidence reviews, and multiple rounds of revision.

The workshop continued with detailed presentations and discussions on the draft NEDL, during which participants attending both in person and virtually provided feedback and recommendations to further refine the document.

During the closing session, Anton Villanueva congratulated all contributors and emphasised the importance of monitoring and evaluation over the next 2 years. He also noted that WHO Headquarters will participate in the Regional Consultation Meeting in Brunei Darussalam this August to present Version 5 of the WHO EDL, and expressed hope that Indonesia’s experience could be shared as a regional example.

Closing the workshop on behalf of the MoH, Dr Pakasi informed participants that a preliminary implementation schedule and action plan had already been prepared and remained open to stakeholder input. She thanked ERIA for its continued partnership and expressed hope for further collaboration to support the successful rollout of Indonesia’s NEDL.