Siti Fadilah Menggugat

Minister of Health Launched a Book

08 Feb 2008

Sharing virus practice has been effective for more than 50 years, but actually, it is harmed poor country and the country where is virus come from. While vaccine manufacturer owned by progress country can take virus easily without permission from the owner and developed it become other diagnostic product and vaccine then sell it to poor country and develop it with high price.

This problem opened when in Indonesia found the first avian influenza virus case to human in the middle of 2005, which is to decide the diagnose in Indonesia is asked to send virus sample to WHO Collaborating Center in Hongkong. It occurred until August 2006. But without known by Indonesia, the virus sample is gave to the company that mede vaccine in progress country.

Since then, Minister of Health decided that to check avian influenza specimen is done in 2 laboratories in domestic such as laboratory of Health Development Research Board and Eijkman. It is goes with the capability of Indonesia laboratory to check H5N1 virus which is proven that the results are always the same with AI laboratory in Hongkong for about 1 year. Yet Indonesia still opens access for all world researchers by placing AI data to BANK Gen (public domain). �In the interest of human, Indonesia government stated that genom data in avian influenza is accessible for everyone,� said Minister of Health at that time.

The Economist magazine wrote,� Siti Fadilah Supari start a revolution that possible to change the world from the bad effect of pandemic disease. It is said because Minister of Health has a weapon that is proven than the best world vaccine now in controlling avian influenza virus threat: �transparency.�

Had that experience, Minister of Health, Dr. dr. Siti Fadilah Supari, Sp.JP(K) move her heart to change the sharing virus system which had harmed the developed country become system that more transparent, fair, and equal. That idea then keeps being fight to be a suggestion in World Health council meeting in Geneva, Swiss. On the end of meeting, the idea from Indonesia are agreed and legalized to be WHA resolution that has to be obeyed by all participants.

Minister of Health's fight in realizing those ideas is written into a book titled "Saatnya Dunia Berubah! Tangan Tuhan di Balik Virus Flu Burung" ( Times the World to Change! God's Hand is behind Avian Influenza Virus). This book is full of interesting details about how Siti Fadilah Supari starts to interest in to a circle of virus exchange then she move ahead to face some tricks and challenges that related to h5N 1 virus exchange. This movement then opens the unfairness of virus sharing mechanism that has been occurred for 50 years, where some countries which give their virus could not ask the research result back and could not know what happened with the virus they sent. In this book, readers can understand the reason behind the decisions, ideas and alternatives from the Minister of Health in fighting for the right to get protection from virus threat for Indonesia people.

Through the book with 182 pages, Minister of Health hope the support from people to express Indonesia people interest to the world because the fight has not finish yet. Siti Fadilah Supari will keep fight until the realizing of a fair, transparent, and equal virus sharing. In her foreword, the Minister hope that this book can be a reference for researchers, practical and anyone who is trying to fight, and maintain the pride and integrate of developed country so that equal with progress country.

The launched of the book by the first woman minister of health in Indonesia was held at Borobudur Hotel, Jakarta, on Wednesday night (6/1/2008). This event was attended by all parties such as ministers of United Indonesia Cabinet, legislatives (DPR, DPD) and ambassadors to neighbour countries, hospital directors, directors of state-owned cooperation (BUMN), the head of West Java, Central Java and Jakarta provincial health office, Profession Organization, academic leaders from Universities and officials of Minister of Health.

Sumber Depkes RI