INDONESIAN MINISTERS DISCUSS SAMPLE SHARING AND HEALTH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 000815 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, G/AIAG AND OES USAID FOR ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/MLEAVITT/WSTEIGER AND HHS/NIH GENEVA FOR WHO/HOHMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC EAGR AMGT PGOV ID SUBJECT: INDONESIAN MINISTERS DISCUSS SAMPLE SHARING AND HEALTH CONCERNS WITH HHS SECRETARY LEAVITT 1.(SBU) Summary. During a series of meetings on April 14, the Indonesian Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Health, Agriculture and the Coordinating Minister of People's Welfare discussed highly pathogenic avian influenza and other health concerns with Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Michael O. Leavitt. All Indonesian interlocutors appreciated the high-level visit and hoped that differences of opinion on sample sharing would not hinder broader cooperation on other important health issues. The Indonesians stressed the need for greater transparency of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Influenza Surveillance Network (GISN),which they proposed renaming; more equitable access to vaccines and medicines; use of a standardized Materials-Transfer Agreement when sharing samples; and a concrete, "monetary" benefits package. Secretary Leavitt emphasized that although the United States supports equitable access to vaccines and medicine, he believes the issue should not be directly linked to sample sharing. Other issues discussed included the status of the Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU-2); cooperation on disease surveillance and the control of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria; and creating increased opportunities for science and technology exchange. A list of participants for each meeting appears in paragraphs 9 and 10. End Summary. Sample Sharing and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Throughout the visit, Secretary Leavitt emphasized that Indonesia is an important friend to the United States, and that both countries share a commitment to democracy and a desire to be partners on a broad range of health issues. He stressed that in any partnership, there are moments of disagreement where face-to-face meetings between partners can help better understand and work through differences. Leavitt then clarified the United States is fully supportive of Indonesia's efforts to promote greater transparency in the WHO GISN and equitable access to vaccines/medications. However, the United States sees access to vaccines/medicine as a separate issue that should not have linkages to the sharing of individual samples. He emphasized, and noted that viruses travel from country to country, which makes the concept of virus ownership impractical. Applying monetary value to viruses would create serious setbacks for science, the Secretary asserted. ¶3. (SBU) The Indonesians continued to stress the need for a user-friendly system to track virus samples as they move between laboratories; the use of standardized Materials-Transfer Agreements (MTAs); an advisory oversight committee for the WHO GISN, which they proposed renaming the "WHO Influenza Network"; and a concrete "monetary" benefits package linked to the sharing of virus samples. Aburizal Bakrie, the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare, told Leavitt that Indonesia does not have a problem with sharing viruses, but needs more discussion on the benefits that would accrue to countries that share samples, such as low-cost vaccines. He said he was optimistic about resolving the remaining issues within two months. Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari reiterated her view that the Indonesian virus strain is unique, and belongs to the Indonesian people. She reaffirmed her view that sharing of samples should have direct links with monetary benefits such as discounts, but not royalties. Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriyanto noted that Indonesia is sharing poultry viruses but needs greater assistance in helping combat the disease among chickens and ducks. He also noted that the entire country only has 1,500 veterinarians. (NOTE: Minister Supari sent a letter at the end of the day to Secretary Leavitt clarifying that her use of the term "monetary SIPDIS benefit" did not refer to royalty or quid-pro-quo arrangement. END NOTE.) ¶4. (SBU) Bill Steiger, Special Assistant for International Affairs to Secretary Leavitt, outlined the progress that both countries have made to close the gaps in their respective positions including a better definition of how samples will pass into the WHO network; a shared concern that the WHO Secretariat should accelerate its work to define the procedures and prioritization for the international influenza vaccine stockpile; and a shared desire to help JAKARTA 00000815 002 OF 003 laboratories in developing countries qualify as WHO collaborating centers on influenza. Steiger raised additional ideas, including dialogue with pharmaceutical companies on tiered pricing for vaccines and engagement of a neutral third party (like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) to convene a panel of experts to think through the issues around access to vaccine issues and a pandemic stockpile. ¶5. (SBU) Secretary Leavitt agreed to pursue discussions on the two-month timeframe that Minister Bakrie suggested. In later remarks to the associated press, he said, "If Indonesia decides not be a part of the world community and the international mainstream on this for a time, that would be regrettable. The world will be slightly less safe, but at some point we have to move onto finding other ways to make the world safe." The Secretary also posted an entry on his blog regarding his conversations with the Indonesian Minister, available at www.hhs.gov. Status of NAMRU-2 -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Secretary Leavitt and the Indonesian ministers discussed the status of NAMRU-2 in all meetings. The Secretary described NAMRU-2 as a valuable shared resource for both Indonesia and the United States, but indicated he had not previously understood Indonesian sensitivities that NAMRU-2 is a military laboratory. He suggested that NAMRU-2 arrange for Indonesian senior leadership to visit other U.S. Department of Defense overseas laboratories to understand NAMRUs' role in their respective host countries. ¶7. (SBU) Secretary Leavitt pressed the Indonesians as to why the government of Indonesia (GOI) was insisting that NAMRU use MTAs when virus samples coming to NAMRU-2 stay within Indonesia. He said he saw this as separate and different from the discussions about the international sharing of virus samples, when the packages actually leave Indonesian territory. Minister Supari responded that NAMRU-2 is a foreign country's laboratory, and because she does not have control over its operations, she must insist on MTAs. (NOTE: Later in the week, Minister Supari made an unannounced visit to NAMRU-2 to, in her words, "Say hello." She continued to voice disquiet over the presence of an American military laboratory in Jakarta, even though the facility sits on the campus of the Ministry of Health and has been a well-known collaborator with the Ministry institution for decades. END NOTE.) Concerns about HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Meeting participants also discussed other important Indonesian health concerns, including tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria. Minister Bakrie described tuberculosis as Indonesia's largest health issue, and tried to put the H5N1 influenza virus into a larger context. He reported that tuberculosis claimed 140,000 victims in Indonesia last year or about 400 per day, in comparison to the cumulative statistics of 132 cases of human H5N1 infection, with 107 deaths. ¶9. (SBU) Dr. Nafsiah Mboi, Secretary to the National AIDS/HIV Commission described great concern over Indonesia's growing HIV/AIDs problem, which she called the fastest growing epidemic disease in Asia. She described that different provinces face different epidemic threats. Although experts characterize most of Indonesia (31 of 33 provinces) as a concentrated epidemic among at-risk populations, Papua and Western Papua have generalized epidemics with up to 2.4 percent of the province's population and 3.5 percent ethnic Papuans infected with HIV. She noted that 22 percent of female sex workers in Papua, and up to 52 percent of prisoners in Indonesia, have HIV/AIDS. Dr. Mboi expressed her opinion that the GOI must increase the scale of current interventions to keep pace with the growing prevalence. She explained that in 2007, the Indonesian government made HIV/AIDs a budget priority and increased government spending. However, although infections are increasing, foreign assistance is dropping, and Dr. Mboi made a pitch that the GOI needs greater technical assistance and collaboration. JAKARTA 00000815 003 OF 003 Key Participants -------------- ¶10. (U) Indonesia: Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie, Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari, Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriyanto, National Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirajuda, National Committee for Avian Influenza Control Secretary Bayu Krisnamurthi, Secretary to the National AIDS/HIV SIPDIS Commission Nafsiah Mboi, Senior Health Policy Advisor to Minister Supari Widjaja Lukito, Director General of the Ministry of Health's National Institute for Health Research and Development Triono Soendoro, Director General of the Ministry of Health's Center of Disease Control and Environmental Health Nyoman Kandun. ¶11. (U) United States: HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt; Ambassador Cameron Hume; HHS Assistant Secretary for Budget, Technology and Finance Charles Johnson; Special Assistant to Secretary Leavitt for International Affairs William Steiger; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Holly Babin; Director of the Office of Asia and the Pacific Christopher Hickey; and HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Country Director Frank Mahoney. ¶12. (U) Secretary Leavitt's party cleared this cable. HUME