Indonesia: Diphtheria Diagnosis Capacity Boosted by WHO Training

Jakarta, Indonesia, October 31, 2025 — A recent training workshop in Jakarta brought together 18 laboratory professionals from across Indonesia, aiming to bolster the nation’s ability to quickly and accurately diagnose diphtheria. It’s a critical step, because while preventable with vaccines, this potentially deadly infection is making unwelcome comebacks where vaccination rates slip.

Strengthening Diphtheria Defense: Indonesia Ups Lab Capacity

A new initiative aims to improve the speed and accuracy of diphtheria diagnosis across Indonesia, crucial for controlling outbreaks of this vaccine-preventable disease.

• Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection affecting the throat and potentially leading to heart and nerve damage.
• Early and accurate diagnosis is vital for effective treatment, contact tracing, and outbreak control.
• The training focused on advanced laboratory techniques for identifying Corynobacterium species, the bacteria responsible for diphtheria.
• International collaboration between reference laboratories and national institutions is key to strengthening regional disease surveillance.

What’s the best way to protect against diphtheria? Vaccination with the diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccine is highly effective and provides long-lasting protection, especially with booster doses.

Diphtheria causes a severe throat infection, potentially obstructing airways and causing complications affecting the heart and nervous system. While largely preventable through widespread vaccination, sporadic outbreaks continue to occur, particularly in areas with declining immunization coverage. This makes rapid detection and confirmation of cases paramount for initiating treatment, tracing contacts, and implementing effective control measures.

The four-day workshop, held from October 27–30, 2025, was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centres for Diphtheria at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in London and the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) in Munich. The initiative involved close collaboration with the National Health Biology Laboratory, WHO country and regional offices, and the Ministry of Health of Indonesia. It’s part of a broader WHO effort to reinforce laboratory networks for the surveillance and control of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Diphtheria diagnostic workshop participants and facilitators pose together after the session. The session aims to strengthen national capacity for rapid detection and confirmation of diphtheria cases, supporting efforts to control this vaccine-preventable disease.

Participants received hands-on training in isolating and identifying Corynobacterium species. Sessions covered bacterial culture, biochemical testing, molecular typing, and methods for detecting diphtheria toxin production. The curriculum also emphasized biosafety protocols, quality assurance procedures, and accurate data reporting. Trainers from UKHSA and LGL shared best practices in clinical specimen collection and referral systems to ensure reliable and timely diagnoses.

The workshop underscores the importance of international collaboration in strengthening regional diagnostic capacity and disease surveillance.

Dr. Stephen Chacko, WHO Team Lead for communicable diseases, emphasized the importance of this collaborative effort. “Accurate and rapid laboratory diagnosis is essential for confirming diphtheria cases and guiding effective public health action. Strengthening laboratory capacity at the national and subnational levels helps ensure that Indonesia is prepared to detect diphtheria early and prevent outbreaks.”

Professor Androulla Efstratiou from UKHSA highlighted the value of sustained laboratory cooperation. “This workshop demonstrates how sharing expertise between international reference laboratories and national institutions can strengthen regional diagnostic capacity and disease surveillance. Strong laboratory systems are at the heart of effective outbreak response.”

Professor Andreas Sing from the LGL added, “Beyond the technical aspects, this training fosters collaboration and standardization of diagnostic approaches across countries, which is critical for global diphtheria control.”

The Jakarta training is part of ongoing efforts by WHO and its partners to equip national laboratories to identify and respond to diphtheria and other vaccine-preventable diseases. By strengthening diagnostic networks and fostering collaboration, countries in the region are better positioned to protect their communities and save lives.

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