State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir met with US businessman Bill Gates to discuss the Gates Foundation’s interest in collaborating with Biofarma for the transfer of technology to develop mRNA vaccines.

Representing President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Minister Thohir was accompanied by Coordinating Minister for the Economy Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

“In addition to discussing the climate change issue, we also discussed about the Gates Foundation’s interest in collaborating with Biofarma for the transfer of technology to develop mRNA vaccines,” Thohir said as quoted from his official Instagram account @erickthohir, Wednesday.

This meeting is an acknowledgment by Bio Farma that plays a major role in the production and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to help ensure smooth running of the country’s vaccination program, Thohir stated.

“I believe we will be able to encourage the development of biotechnology products in the country to soon realize independence in Indonesia’s health services,” he remarked.

Earlier, the minister, who concurrently acted as the chief executive of the COVID-19 Handling Committee and National Economic Recovery (KPC-PEN), revealed that technological improvements in vaccine manufacturing, especially for battling COVID-19, are increasingly crucial to help Indonesia become a hub of the world’s vaccine production.

Thohir pointed out that Bio Farma currently already owns and masters the technology for vaccine production by applying the inactivated virus method and the recombinant protein technology.

He also emphasized that the technology had received financial support from the government for technological improvements, such as through the application of mRNA and viral vector methods.

In addition, Thohir is keen that Indonesia becomes capable of producing its own COVID-19 vaccine through the Merah Putih Vaccine Program or forge a collaboration with other vaccine manufacturers.

Source: Antara News