Up until now. Indonesia has not yet been willing to send samples of the H5N1 virus to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) laboratory. Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said Indonesia will not send samples of the bird flu virus until the WHO agrees with Indonesia’s request. “If they want (the samples to be sent), it must be by agreement,” she said at the Health Department building, Jakarta, Monday (23/4). However, on March 27, the government and WHO reached an agreement about the bird flu virus sample shipment. The agreement was included in Jakarta Declaration, signed by WHO members a day after the agreement was reached. “We will send the virus to WHO as soon as possible,” said the Health Minister then. Before, Indonesia refused to send H5N1 virus samples to WHO. The reason was because the virus samples were used by other countries to make vaccines without Indonesia’s approval. This was in spite of the fact that the government did not allow the virus to be commercialized. In the Jakarta Declaration, Indonesia obligates WHO’s commitment not to abuse the viruses that are sent. The requirement, said Siti, will be discussed during the World Health Assembly meeting this May. She is optimistic that the requirement will be agreed to. Her reasoning is that Indonesia’s bargaining position in proposing the requirement is quite strong. “The one that has the goods (virus samples) is us,” she said. In addition, Siti explained developing countries that have the virus also support Indonesia’s measure, for example Vietnam and Thailand. “They back Indonesia,” she said.
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Tempo
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