This technology is very important for the public health sector in future.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan expects that the launch of the Biomedical and Genome Science Initiative (BGS-I) will strengthen Indonesia's research and health innovations.

As quoted from a statement here on Sunday, the minister also expressed hope that the implementation of BGS-I would aid in expediting the establishment of Indonesia’s independent health sector.

"We like to (continue to) move (forward)," he said at the launch of BGS-I and the inauguration of the BGS-I Genomic Sequencing Facility at Dr Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital (RSCM), Jakarta, on Sunday.

The development of BGS-I aims to identify potential outbreaks in future by applying the whole genome sequencing (WGS) technology to collect genetic information from humans and various pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria.

The coordinating minister remarked that BGS-I can be applied in at least three sectors, including health, agriculture, and livestock farming.

Currently, the BGS-I has been implemented in several projects in the sectors, he noted.

“Thus, once again, I think that it (the BGS-I) is a good breakthrough for the government,” Pandjaitan remarked.

Thus, he invited all countries and stakeholders to collaborate in developing the initiative.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that the WGS technology will be used for various research and development work for the treatment of six priority health problem categories: cancer, infectious diseases, brain and neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic diseases, genetic disorders, and aging.

"This technology is very important for the public health sector in future. Through this genome sequencing biotechnology, the ability to identify the cause of the disease and treat it (the cause) will be very precise,” he noted.

Currently, BGS-I is implemented in seven hospitals: RSCM, National Brain Center (PON) Hospital, Sulianto Saroso Hospital, Persahabatan Hospital, Dharmais Cancer Hospital, Sardjito Hospital, as well as Prof I.G.N.G. Ngoerah Hospital.

In addition to Pandjaitan and Sadikin, the launch of BGS-I was attended by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Laksana Tri Handoko, as well as several ambassadors from friendly countries.

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Translator: Ade Junida, Uyu Liman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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