The collaboration is being carried out under the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (Satreps) scheme to develop malaria, amoebiasis, dengue, and tuberculosis medicines, BRIN's Deputy for Research and Innovation Facilitation Agus Haryono said.
"Dengue fever and viral infection by mosquitos attack millions of Indonesians and strain our healthcare system. The need for new medicines and therapies has become more urgent due to limitations in our current treatment choices," he added in an agency statement issued on Tuesday.
The Satreps project, which is in its fourth year, is vital for strengthening medicinal research in Indonesia to address health issues, particularly those caused by infectious diseases, within the country and across the world.
He said that Indonesia's natural diversity, with its thousands of plants, marine organisms, and other microorganisms whose medicinal benefits remain unexplored, can play a strategic role in medicinal research and development.
Moreover, Indonesia's local communities have been known to develop traditional medicines with antimicrobial and antiviral benefits to tackle infectious diseases.
Hence, the multinational project aims to provide scientific validation and support systematic drug development to turn Indonesia's natural resources into medicines that will save millions of lives.
"Our natural resources have unexplored potentials to be used as new anti-TB and antiviral compounds for medicinal needs," Haryono said.
He highlighted the need to invest in research and innovation capability to bolster research on natural products and identify bioactive molecules that can function as the basis of new medicines.
"Collaborations between traditional medicine practitioners and modern scientists will bridge the gap between local wisdom and current pharmacy development," he added.
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Translator: Sean Filo Muhamad, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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