Optimizing health protocol compliance through supply chain management in Surabaya's COVID-19 response

This study examines the impact of social and economic factors on community adherence to COVID-19 health protocols in Surabaya, Indonesia, through a supply chain management perspective. It applies the five-component supply chain model encompassing supply chain policies, governance structures, consumer attitudes, process efficiency, and the integration of culture/technology. The primary data is derived from a survey of 119 participants, supplemented by secondary data on national health protocols and local COVID-19 cases. The analysis reveals critical gaps in compliance with health protocols, particularly regarding mask usage, social distancing, and avoiding crowded spaces. Specifically, only 17.6% of religious adherents follow these protocols, while 82.3% do not. In traditional markets, compliance stands at 19.2%, while 80.8% of participants ignore the guidelines. Among the youth, only 12.4% adhere to the protocols, with 87.6% disregarding them. The study highlights the need to improve the supply chain of public health interventions, from awareness campaigns (demand generation) to efficient delivery systems (process optimization) and monitoring mechanisms (evaluation and feedback loops). Emphasizing a supply chain approach, the findings suggest that strengthening the upstream (policy and governance), midstream (public behavior and attitudes), and downstream (cultural and technological adaptations) components can enhance compliance rates and reduce COVID-19 transmission. The study concludes with actionable recommendations, such as increasing public health awareness, strengthening governance frameworks, targeting interventions for vulnerable groups, and fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships to create a resilient health compliance supply chain in Surabaya, Indonesia.