"This working visit is strategic, which takes the momentum of 75 years of Indonesia-China diplomatic relations for health cooperation to support the health transformation program in the country," Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono said in a statement issued here on Thursday.
Harbuwono, along with other Indonesian delegates, visited China from April 3–6, 2023, and held a bilateral meeting with China's Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, during which, he witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between PT Biotis Indonesia and Minhai Biotechnology.
He praised the Chinese government and industry for supporting Indonesia's health transformation, which is being realized through 23 collaborations in the field of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, three cooperation agreements on hospital services, and one on biotechnology.
Harbuwono emphasized the importance of investment and technology transfer from China's health industry for supporting vaccine industry resilience and vaccination coverage in Indonesia.
He said pneumonia, which is one of the biggest factors for infant mortality in the country, can be prevented with the help of the PCV vaccine.
This year, the Indonesian Health Ministry is planning to distribute the PCV vaccine nationwide, with the vaccination need pegged at up to 11.9 million doses annually.
"Hundred percent of PCV vaccines are imported in finished form. Therefore, the Ministry of Health is encouraging all local manufacturers to seek technology abroad and bring it to Indonesia," he said.
The cooperation with China also covers the health security pillar, under which Indonesia is seeking to strengthen efforts for realizing the independence of the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, including vaccine products.
The cooperation also encompasses the health technology pillar, given the rapid development of health and biotechnology research and industry in China, the deputy minister added.
The overall cooperation also aims to support the transformation of secondary healthcare to improve access to quality health services.
The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on health on November 16, 2022, and prior to that, they inked the Indonesia-China MoU on Vaccine and Genomics on July 26, 2022.
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Translator: Andi F, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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