BIOSECURITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM IN INDONESIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002194 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, G/AIAG, L/DL, EAP/EX, AND OES/IHA USAID FOR ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/WSTEIGER/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH DEPT ALSO PASS TO DOJ FOR OFL GENEVA FOR WHO/HOHMAN USDA/FAS/OSTA BRANT, ROSENBLUM USDA/APHIS ANNELLI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO EAGR AMGT PGOV ID KLIG SUBJECT: BIOSECURITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM IN INDONESIA REF: JAKARTA 01409 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) is a pathogen security program run out of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN). BEP Indonesia works with partner institutions in the Ministries of Health (MOH),Research and Technology, and Agriculture to support biosafety and biosecurity capacity building efforts. The Government of Indonesia (GOI) paid for the construction of BSL-3 labs at all three of these facilities. BEP supports training, security upgrades and equipment for partner institutions. BEP is a successful program with good collaboration from a number of institutions, but a lack of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and interference from Minister of Health Supari hamper the program's full effectiveness. Descriptions of BEP activities by Ministry follow. End Summary -------------- Memorandum of Understanding Still Unsigned -------------- ¶2. (U) The BEP MOU is a blanket MOU between the State Department and the Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU). Implementing agreements with the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Research and Technology would follow a signed agreement. The Ministry of Health, and Minister Supari in particular, appears to be the lone hold-out on the agreement, refusing to permit its signature (REFTEL). DEPLU will not sign without consensus from all three affected ministries. Approximately $700,000 in project funding has been held until the MOU is signed. Embassy is working with DEPLU to try to get the agreement signed within the next two months. -------------- -------------- National Institute of Health Research and Development -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) BEP's partner institution in the Ministry of Health is the National Institute of Health Research and Development (NIHRD, or "Litbangkes"). NIHRD is the central public health laboratory for Indonesia. BEP has supported NIHRD staff attendance at biosafety and biosecurity training courses and conferences in the U.S., as well as three post-graduate scholarships for Masters degrees at American Universities. BEP plans to support the development and implementation of an in-house biosafety and biosecurity training program in 2009. BEP has also supported expert consultation for the commissioning of NIHRD's Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) lab, development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the lab, and intends to support select equipment for the lab. ¶4. (SBU) BEP's existing activities with NIHRD continue, although hampered somewhat by Ministry of Health policies. BEP is still supporting the post graduate education for NIHRD's three applicants, as well as consulting advice on BSL-3 SOPs. Additional planned projects, such as the support of a Lab Information Management System staff and equipment purchases, are on hold until the Ministry softens its policies. Lower level management continues to push for these projects once political issues subside. Dr. Trihono, NIHRD's h/XQQQGor, noted recently, "There are politics, but these are not my politics", an allusion to the Minister's own nationalistic policies. -------------- The Eijkman Institute of Molecular Biology -------------- ¶5. (U) BEP's partner institution with the Ministry of Research and Technology (MINRISTEK) is the Eijkman Institute of Molecular Biology. Eijkman is the premier institution for R&D in the life sciences. BEP currently supports salary for BSL-3 staff. In 2009, BEP plans to support funding for an expert international virologist to develop a research agenda, train scientists and ensure biosafety and biosecurity. BEP also supports the BSL-3 lab's ongoing operations and maintenance through a grant. ¶6. (SBU) While Eijkman currently falls under MINRISTEK, the MOH would like to take over control of the Institute. Dr. Sangkot Marzuki, Director of the Institute, would like Eijkman to become a separate entity directly reporting into the President's office with JAKARTA 00002194 002 OF 002 a dotted line to MOH, in order to have independence but also access Health's funding streams. ¶7. (SBU) Dr. Marzuki is an ally on science and technology policy, and provides sound advice to Embassy staff. He is well-connected politically and socially, and is the recently-elected head of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences. He hopes to raise both the profile and the influence of the Academy, to perform the policy advisory role in the same vein as the American Academy of Sciences. His constituents have pushed him to combat the MOH's policies restricting international scientific research collaborations. -------------- BBALITVET -------------- ¶8. (U) BEP partners with the Indonesian Research Centre for Veterinary Science (Balitvet) in Bogor, the country's central animal health laboratory. Biosecurity projects include a risk assessment, comprehensive physical security upgrades, security training and SOP development. Staff training activities include the REDI Center Train the Trainer Program in Biosafety and Biosecurity and the BSL-3 Science and Safety Training at Emory University. BEP also provided assistance with the development and implementation of an in-house biosafety and biosecurity training program for researchers and technicians. Lab support includes design consultation and SOP development for their BSL-2 zoonoses lab, and expert consultation for design, commissioning and start of operation for a new modular BSL-3 lab. ¶9. (SBU) Balitvet has some setbacks with their BSL-3 lab which will delay its opening to after the deadline of 15 December. The lab shipped late from its American manufacturer, Certek, and was caught in a typhoon en route to Indonesia. The full extent of the damage remains to be seen, but at a minimum two of the outside condensers need to be replaced. Balitvet leadership have a great deal of anxiety about this, since they have already received two extensions from the Ministry of Finance for the completion of this project, and are under scrutiny by the Attorney General's office. BEP consultants will put together a plan for the lab's repair and opening once they get a sense of the damage incurred. -------------- Disease Investigation Center Labs -------------- ¶10. (U) BEP partners with the seven Disease Investigation Center (DIC) laboratories under the Director General of Livestock Services (DGLS),which also falls under the Ministry of Agriculture. BEP projects include support of staff attendance at the biosafety and biosecurity training workshop hosted by Balitvet. Biological safety cabinet testing and certification are planned for 2009. On-site risk assessment, along with a broader biosafety and biosecurity training is also planned for 2009. BEP is also supporting staff education, with three scholarships for Masters in Veterinary Sciences in progress, and another 6 planned for 2009. BEP's goal is to support Masters-level education of one staff member from each of the DICs. BEP also plans to support reagents and equipment for the DIC labs, but must delay this support until the MOU is signed and it is allowed to proceed. ¶11. (SBU) DIC labs have expressed concern that BEP is unable to provide equipment and reagents until the MOU has been signed to grant the tax exemption for these items. BEP staff have restated their commitment to providing this support as soon as they are able to do so. HUME