BA JHCCP under USAID Indonesia and supported by the Ministry of Health, held the competition ‘SIAP Elderly Local Heroes’ (Pahlawan Lansia SIAP). The program targeted 10 regencies/cities across Indonesia ( that indicated low adoption of COVID-19 vaccine, particularly among vulnerable demographics, such as people from the elderly age group. This program ran for four months. Through the creative competition program which enabled a peer to peer approach, it is hoped that the elderly champions (winners of the competition) can educate the benefits of COVID-19 vaccine, resist hoax information, and influence their peers with similar age to obtain comprehensive doses of vaccination.

To promote the competition, ID COMM was appointed as JHCCP’s partner in implementing strategic outreach and promotion activities in the targeted regencies/cities, which combine door to door recruitment in collaboration with local Health Agencies, promotion in local radio, as well as through local social media partners. Many of the elderlies in these regencies/cities still use local radio to obtain news/information and local influencers (domiciled in the areas) still play a big part in influencing or spreading information to the relevant population in the areas by using local dialects. The selected champions are then given the capacity building and more comprehensive knowledge on COVID-19 vaccination in order for them to spread the information among their peers. The champions are considered assets for the local Health Agencies to help boost the number of vaccination, especially among the elderly group.

PLS managed to collect 529 elderly individuals (by name and address) and selected 10 champions from each regency/city. Overall, the campaign went smoothly and the winners received positive feedbacks from both on social media and the general public. The coordination among regency coordinators, local governments, and support from USAID and BA JHCCP have generated public reliance and trust to COVID-19 vaccination, especially for the elderlies.