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The Indonesian government has received a guarantee that the 15 bird flu virus (H5N1) samples that have been sent to the World Health Organization (WHO) were only to be examined for risk assessment, as to whether the virus is resistant to oseltamivir or not.

“Before the virus was sent, we already had the risk assessment guarantee letter,” said Siti Fadilah Supari, Health Minister, at her residence, Jalan Denpasar, Kuningan, Jakarta, two days ago (1/3).

According to Minister Siti, the bird flu virus samples were sent along with the material transfer agreement (MTA) that the government proposed be signed by the WHO.

If the WHO is willing to sign it, then the government will send more virus samples.

“Otherwise, the government will struggle again,” said Minister Siti.
According to her, the dispatch was a test as to whether the WHO will approve the MTA or not.

In December 2006, the government stopped sending bird flu virus samples.

This policy was taken to prevent multinational companies from using Indonesian virus samples to develop vaccines with a high sales price.

Minister Siti said that with the MTA, the bird flu virus sample dispatch mechanism is more transparent and fair in terms of responsibility towards the virus sending country.

The government's desire to change the mechanism, according to her, is not only useful for bird flu cases but also other diseases.

Under the old mechanism, virus samples were prone to be misused and
could therefore spread again in Indonesia and cause a new cases.

This is because the bird flu virus spread in Indonesia is inappropriate with epidemiology.

“This needs a great deal of attention,” said Minister Siti.

With the new mechanism, she said, the government has tried to overcome the large number of bird flu case in Indonesia.

“With transparency, what ever the virus is used for can be known,” said Minister Siti.

C.A. Nidom, Head of the Avian Influenza Tropical Disease Center Laboratory at Airlangga University, supported the government's measure to start sending bird flu virus samples.

According to him, the government needs to prioritize the bird flu handling in the country instead of fighting for the right in the MTA process at the WHO.

“What we're facing are human lives and the world's community,” said Nidom when contacted yesterday (2/3).

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source :
Margahayu Land
http://margahayuland.blogspot.com/2008/03/indonesian-government-asks-for-virus.html

Labels: Government, Health, Indonesia, News, People, WHO

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The European Union and the Japanese government have given grants amounting to US$10 million and US$5 million respectively for handling the bird flu virus in Indonesia.

The grants were announced during a meeting between the Indonesian government and the donor countries at the “ HPAI in Indonesia: Latest Situation and Future Steps to Control H5N1 Virus” as the theme, at the Gran Melia Hotel, Jakarta, today (13/6).

“The spread of bird flu virus in Indonesia is sporadic and doesn't show any certain pattern. The war against this virus must be applied in all directions, especially as regards animals as the source of infection,” said Bayu Krisnamurthi, Head of the National Team for Bird Flu Handling and Readiness to Face Pandemic Influenza (Komnas FBPI).

It is planned that the grants will be used for supporting activities such as vaccine quality, socialization of fowl vaccination, vaccination officer training, access to vaccine storage and vaccine procurement.

The grants will be divided, for the Agriculture Department US$9.56 million and the remainder for the Komnas FBPI for many activities.

The time to use the grants is between July, 2007 and July, 2009.

Many activities to handle bird flu on animals have been prepared.

However, Musny Suatmojo, Director of Animal Health at the Agriculture Department, refused to give the details.

“Now it's being discussed in the meeting. Tomorrow there'll be certainties as regards the activity details,” he said.

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The World Health Assembly, during the 60th meeting in Geneva, Swiss, granted Indonesia's request for a more transparent mechanism as regards sending bird flu virus samples.

Because of this, developed countries will no longer be able to take advantage of poor countries attacked by bird flu.

“The resolution will bind all members of the World Health Organization (WHO),” wrote I Nyoman Kandun, Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Improvement at the Health Department, in a short message to Tempo yesterday (23/5).

Earlier, Indonesia refused to send H5N1 virus samples to the WHO's collaboration laboratory.

The reason for this is the virus, that must be given freely by infected countries, will later be used for research, including for producing bird flu vaccines.

The problem is, the vaccine made by developed countries will then be sold at an expensive price to the infected countries.

“Bird flu virus is provided free from developing countries, but medicinal companies take on a patent on the vaccines and sell it at an expensive price,” said Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari.

According to Kandun, in the future the resolution will be followed up with cooperation among governments and among divisions.

The cooperation is aimed at revising the term of reference and documents on virus shipping.

“Virus shipping must be done transparently, responsibly and beneficially for all sides in maintaining the world's health,” he said.

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The public buys medicine with a price that is actually higher than the standard price. This fact is rarely realized because the medicines are needed and the consumers are not given an option to use other medicines.

“Patients are often deceived,” said the Head of Indonesian Health Consumers Empowerment Foundation, Marius Widjajarta, in Jakarta yesterday (21/5).

According to Marius, the foundation he is leading has carried out a survey in 25 hospitals in Indonesia. The result is the costs expended by patients for medical devices and medicines reach 60 to 70 percent of the total cost. “This isn't natural. Patients should only spend 30 percent of the total cost for buying medicines,” he said.

Marius assumed that the ruse against patients is practiced by pharmaceutical companies and doctors who give the prescription. Pharmaceutical companies set a high price for medicines they produce. “The difference can be 200 percent of the generic medicines price,” he said.

It is very rare that patients refuse a prescription given by a doctor. In the meantime, doctors have a motive that patients buy the medicines they recommend. “Pharmaceutical companies give commissions to doctors. The commission is a reward as the doctors prescribe the medicines they produce,” said Marius.

This sham actually does not have to happen if the government's role in monitoring the labeling of medicines runs well. The government must also issue a regulation to determine the price of branded medicines.

Director General of Pharmaceutical Service and Medical Device Improvement at the Health Department, Richard Panjaitan, said that the government does not have the authority to determine the prices of branded medicines.

The government is only authorized to determine the prices of generic medicines to be consumed by the public. “For determining medicine’s price, a law is necessary. Now the draft is being composed by us,” he said.

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