Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09JAKARTA632
2009-04-07 09:46:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
U.S.-Indonesia: Moving Ahead with Health Collaboration
how-toVZCZCXRO1385 RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHJA #0632 0970946 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 070946Z APR 09 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2064 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS COLL RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1028 RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7883 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS JAKARTA 000632
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EAP, OES
DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/ABHAT/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH
NSC FOR HAROLD VARMUS AND CEQ
E.O. 12598: N/A
TAGS: TBIO TSPL SENV KGHG PREL ID
SUBJECT: U.S.-Indonesia: Moving Ahead with Health Collaboration
UNCLAS JAKARTA 000632
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EAP, OES
DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/ABHAT/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH
NSC FOR HAROLD VARMUS AND CEQ
E.O. 12598: N/A
TAGS: TBIO TSPL SENV KGHG PREL ID
SUBJECT: U.S.-Indonesia: Moving Ahead with Health Collaboration
1. (SBU) During an April 6 meeting with Ambassador Hume, Dr. Emil
Salim, Environmental Advisor to President Yudhoyono, urged that the
United States and Indonesia expand health collaboration under a new
bilateral science and technology agreement. Salim acknowledged that
a stable bilateral relationship is essential for expanded
collaboration on health, particularly tropical infectious diseases.
He suggested that an umbrella S&T Agreement could be the first step
to resolving the issue of the Naval Medical Research Unit-2
(NAMRU-2) in Jakarta.
2. (U) Climate change and its impact on the incidence of disease is
yet another pressing reason, Salim noted, for a heightened focus on
health. He emphasized that Indonesia, as a tropical and
archipelagic country, is especially vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change, including on health. Jakarta therefore has a clear
self-interest in advancing medical research on infectious diseases
and concluding an umbrella science and technology (S&T) Agreement
with the United States.
3. (SBU) A bilateral S&T Agreement, Salim said, could provide the
basis for resolving the controversy over NAMRU-2 and its infectious
diseases research. There is a misperception among some Indonesians
about NAMRU-2's work, he noted, and the key is to eliminate their
"suspicions." Salim recommended formally placing the work of
NAMRU-2 under the Ministry of Research and Technology once we have a
bilateral S&T Agreement. Doing so, Salim stated, would remove the
political "burden" from the Ministry of Health. Packaging NAMRU-2's
work as part of an overarching collaborative endeavor on scientific
research under the Ministry of Research's responsibility, he
suggested, could go a long way towards mitigating domestic
sensitivities.
4. (SBU) Salim revealed that he has been thinking about the NAMRU-2
issue and discussing it with other Indonesians for some time. He
also implied that President Yudhoyono is keen to enhance
collaboration on health. Salim welcomed Ambassador Hume's
suggestions on other ways to desensitize the issue, including
creating a bi-national board for NAMRU-2 and collaborating to
establish a center for health/medicine that would also conduct the
clinical research on infectious diseases.
HUME
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EAP, OES
DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/ABHAT/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH
NSC FOR HAROLD VARMUS AND CEQ
E.O. 12598: N/A
TAGS: TBIO TSPL SENV KGHG PREL ID
SUBJECT: U.S.-Indonesia: Moving Ahead with Health Collaboration
1. (SBU) During an April 6 meeting with Ambassador Hume, Dr. Emil
Salim, Environmental Advisor to President Yudhoyono, urged that the
United States and Indonesia expand health collaboration under a new
bilateral science and technology agreement. Salim acknowledged that
a stable bilateral relationship is essential for expanded
collaboration on health, particularly tropical infectious diseases.
He suggested that an umbrella S&T Agreement could be the first step
to resolving the issue of the Naval Medical Research Unit-2
(NAMRU-2) in Jakarta.
2. (U) Climate change and its impact on the incidence of disease is
yet another pressing reason, Salim noted, for a heightened focus on
health. He emphasized that Indonesia, as a tropical and
archipelagic country, is especially vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change, including on health. Jakarta therefore has a clear
self-interest in advancing medical research on infectious diseases
and concluding an umbrella science and technology (S&T) Agreement
with the United States.
3. (SBU) A bilateral S&T Agreement, Salim said, could provide the
basis for resolving the controversy over NAMRU-2 and its infectious
diseases research. There is a misperception among some Indonesians
about NAMRU-2's work, he noted, and the key is to eliminate their
"suspicions." Salim recommended formally placing the work of
NAMRU-2 under the Ministry of Research and Technology once we have a
bilateral S&T Agreement. Doing so, Salim stated, would remove the
political "burden" from the Ministry of Health. Packaging NAMRU-2's
work as part of an overarching collaborative endeavor on scientific
research under the Ministry of Research's responsibility, he
suggested, could go a long way towards mitigating domestic
sensitivities.
4. (SBU) Salim revealed that he has been thinking about the NAMRU-2
issue and discussing it with other Indonesians for some time. He
also implied that President Yudhoyono is keen to enhance
collaboration on health. Salim welcomed Ambassador Hume's
suggestions on other ways to desensitize the issue, including
creating a bi-national board for NAMRU-2 and collaborating to
establish a center for health/medicine that would also conduct the
clinical research on infectious diseases.
HUME