Indonesia And The UK Establish Through Cooperation To Strengthen Disease Detection To Treatment

JAKARTA – In an effort to improve the quality of health services, Indonesia and the UK are expanding strategic collaboration through updating the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the health sector. This initiative aims to strengthen the health care system of the two countries, including the development of medical technology, clinical research, and strengthening community-based primary services.

The signing of the MoU was carried out in a series of the 78th World Health Council Session which took place in Geneva, Switzerland. Indonesian Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, together with the British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention Ashley Dalton MP, signed the agreement as part of an effort to strengthen bilateral relations.

In a statement released in Jakarta on Monday, Minister of Health Budi said that this updated MoU reflects the expansion of the scope of deeper and more strategic health cooperation between the two countries.

“This collaboration includes strengthening community-based health services, encouraging distribution of primary services that are no longer centralized in hospitals, as well as increasing capacity in detection, prevention, and disease control. This includes collaborative efforts in dealing with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and implementing the One Health approach,” he explained.

In addition to the basic service sector, cooperation has also penetrated the scientific sector and innovation of health technology. The focus includes the development of biotechnology, genomic research, the pharmaceutical industry, and medical device technology that supports modern health care systems.

According to the Minister of Health, digitalization is an important aspect in the transformation of national health services. The use of information technology, including in early disease prevention efforts, is part of the big agenda for the transformation of the Indonesian health sector which is also supported in this partnership.

This memorandum of understanding also follows up on the results of President Prabowo’s visit to the UK in November 2024, which also highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation in the education and training sectors of health workers, clinical expertise, and research-based innovation.

“The ultimate goal of this collaboration is to create sustainable growth with tangible results that have a positive impact on the people of the two countries,” added Budi Gunadi.

He also highlighted that Britain is one of the main contributors to multilateral organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, Gavi, and the World Bank. On the other hand, Indonesia continues to strengthen its position on the international stage as the leader of Global South countries and important British partners in facing global health challenges.

For the record, Indonesia is now also listed as one of the contributors to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, an initiative that has since 2002 contributed to saving more than 65 million people globally.

This bilateral cooperation, he continued, not only focuses on improving public health services, but also opens channels for investment and mutual innovation in the health technology sector, medical devices, and modern health services.

In a broader context, this update will be an important foundation in the UK-Indonesian Strategic Partnership aimed at deepening cross-sectoral collaboration, encouraging economic growth, and strengthening dialogue between nations.

British Ambassador to Indonesia, Dominic Jermey, stated that this cooperation update reflects the depth of the strategic relations between the two countries that were built on the basis of mutual trust and value.

“This agreement clarifies our priorities in improving the resilience of the health system, supporting global health security, and expanding access to equivalent technology-based health services for the entire community,” Dominic said.

He hopes that this partnership will produce concrete solutions that will benefit the people of Indonesia, Britain and the global community more widely.

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