"Indonesia has the strength and ability to develop medicines through the processing of natural raw materials or phytopharmaceuticals," Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita remarked at the topping-off ceremony of House of Wellness, a phytopharmaceutical production facility, here on Friday.
Kartasasmita said the country has a rich biodiversity of 2,800 species of medicinal plants.
Hence, he said, downstreaming and industrialization can reduce the dependence on imported drugs and their raw materials.
The industrialization of phytopharmaceuticals will support the country's independence in producing easily accessible, affordable, always available, and sustainable drugs for society, the minister pointed out.
He explained that the efforts to transform the pharmaceutical sector also aims to optimize the domestic market and the potential international market of herbal products or natural medicines.
At the global level, the WHO forecast that the global demand for natural medicinal products will continue to increase to US$5 trillion by 2050. Meanwhile, the consumption value of natural medicines by Indonesians is estimated to reach Rp23 trillion in 2025.
In 2022, the government has established a formulary that serves as a reference for the use of phytopharmaceutical products in public health services.
"By accommodating phytopharmaceuticals as part of public health service facilities, it is hoped that the absorption of its products can increase in line with efforts to encourage the increase in the use of Domestic Products (P3DN)," Kartasasmita said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry's Head of the Standardization and Industrial Services Policy Agency (BSKJI) Doddy Rahadi said that the construction of House of Wellness is targeted to be completed and commence the production of natural extracts by 2024. The facility is thereafter targeted to start producing phytopharmaceuticals in 2027.
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Translator: Sella G, Kenzu T
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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