Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto revealed that one of the key topics discussed with Bill Gates during their meeting at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday was the tuberculosis (TB) vaccine trial in Indonesia.
Bill Gates, through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is currently funding research and clinical trials for a TB vaccine, which has entered the testing phase in several countries.
“He is developing a TB vaccine for the world, and Indonesia has been appointed as one of the trial sites. TB claims many lives—nearly 100,000 people die each year,” Prabowo said in a statement on Wednesday.
He emphasized the government’s commitment to reducing the TB mortality rate, which is being addressed through several initiatives, including free health screenings.
“Bill Gates has shown strong commitment and continues to support us in TB prevention, along with the development of a malaria vaccine,” the president remarked.
During the meeting, Gates confirmed that two locations in Indonesia have been designated as clinical trial sites for the TB vaccine.
He explained that the trials will support the development of a vaccine suited for countries with high TB incidence rates.
“We are conducting trials in Africa, India, and here (in Indonesia). We are really looking forward to the results,” he said.
Gates noted that TB prevention is a major focus of his foundation’s work, alongside the development of vaccines for pneumonia, HPV, malaria, and diarrhea.
President Prabowo welcomed Gates at the Merdeka Palace at around 8:00 a.m. local time. Their meeting lasted approximately two hours.
Several ministers were present, including Minister of Investment Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
Prabowo also introduced Gates to several prominent Indonesian business figures, including Chairul Tanjung, Haji Abdul Rasyid, Garibaldi Thohir, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Prajogo Pangestu, Arsjad Rasjid, Tomy Winata, James Riady, Anthony Salim, Dato' Sri Tahir, and Haji Isam.
