MEETING WITH HEALTH MINISTER SUPARI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000679 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, OES/AIAG USAID FOR ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/ABHAT/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH GENEVA FOR WHO/HOHMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO AMED EAGR AMGT PGOV ID SUBJECT: MEETING WITH HEALTH MINISTER SUPARI ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari told Ambassador Hume she welcomes a meeting with Avian Influenza Special Representative Robert Loftis and hopes that remaining sample sharing concerns will be resolved at the World Health Assembly in May. Ambassador briefed her on USG health cooperation with other countries. He repeated interest of Secretary Clinton in health cooperation with Indonesia, but he cautioned that a larger relationship would need to include successful resolution of sample sharing issue and status of NAMRU-2. End Summary. -------------- - AI SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE'S VISIT TO INDONESIA -------------- - ¶2. (SBU) On April 14, Ambassador Hume told Minister Supari that Ambassador Robert Loftis, the U.S. Special Representative for Avian and Pandemic Influenza, would visit Indonesia from April 15-17 to participate in the Environment, Science, Technology and Health conference. Loftis will call on key government officials and other partners involved in controlling avian influenza. Minister Supari expressed interest in meeting with Loftis to discuss remaining sample sharing concerns. She said that she hoped sample sharing will be resolved in time for the May World Health Assembly. The Ambassador agreed to set up a meeting with Loftis. -------------- U.S. HEALTH ENGAGEMENT IN OTHER COUNTRIES -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The Ambassador said that he is committed to keeping health on the agenda for the Indonesian -U.S. comprehensive partnership. He shared a general description of U.S. health programs in other countries: -- In South Africa the large program was funded mainly by PEPFAR and targeted at HIV/AIDS, but some research and cooperation continued on other issues, such as tuberculosis and infectious diseases. -- In Vietnam PEPFAR was again the main element, but attention was also give to issues that remain from the Vietnam war. The United States and Vietnam also had a program for Vietnamese scientists to do advanced study in the United States. -- In China the programs included some attention to HIV/AIDS, but cooperation included attention to other infectious diseases, such as avian flu, and other health problems. -- In India much of the health relationship was directed at HIV/AIDS, but there were substantial programs for Indian post-doctorate researchers to train with NIH as well as cooperation including research in India. -- In Egypt NAMRU was a key part of the health relationship, and it performed many collaborative research projects with the government. Health was also an important part of the USAID operation. -------------- MINISTER SAYS SHE WANTS TO COOPERATE -------------- ¶4. The Minister reaffirmed that she wants to build a strong relationship with the USG on health, especially on research. After indicating a particular interest in training opportunities, she asked if "brain drain" was a problem in the relationship with India. Hume responded that Indonesia would have to greatly increase the number of its scientists qualified to engage in post doctoral research. According to Indonesian government statistics, the country has only 8,000 PHDs, while each year 60,000 Indians are studying for doctoral degrees in the USA. The USG would welcome an opportunity to build the relationship through educating and training more scientists and encouraging a culture conducive to clinical research in Indonesia. However, a stronger relationship would have to include completion of the positive talks on sample sharing and resolution of the issues still confronted by NAMRU-2. The USG could look at different ways to address Indonesian concerns. The form of the recently concluded bi-national board on education might be a model. Supari welcomed the offer to look for a way to resolve these issues and said she would like to meet again after the May WHO session. JAKARTA 00000679 002 OF 002 ¶5. Note: Following the meeting, Dr. Widjaja Lukito, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Health, called Embassy staff to indicate that Supari was pleased with the meeting. She had already directed her staff to convene a study group to consider the Ambassador's NAMRU-2 proposal. HUME