Prime Highlights:

• Indonesia and China have launched a joint laboratory to advance digital medicine, improve healthcare services, and strengthen Indonesia’s domestic medical industry.
• The partnership promotes local innovation and knowledge sharing, aiming to make Indonesia a hub for health research in the region.

Key Facts:

• The collaboration is part of a long-term partnership that has been growing since August 2024, focusing on healthcare, vaccine development, and disease monitoring.
• A central goal of the initiative is technology transfer, allowing Indonesia to produce medical tools and innovations independently while ensuring health data security.

Background:

Indonesia and China have agreed to work together in healthcare by setting up a joint laboratory to improve digital medicine and medical technology. The project aims to speed up health system improvements in Indonesia and boost the local medical industry.

Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus announced that Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, Xuzhou Medical University, and the National Standardisation Agency have signed a tripartite agreement to establish the Joint Laboratory for Digital Medicine and Proactive Health. The laboratory will serve as a hub for applied research, innovation, and the development of medical technologies.

“This collaboration lays the foundation for a stronger digital health system and the use of advanced tools in medicine, ultimately aimed at improving public healthcare services,” Octavianus said.

The laboratory will focus on joint research, standardisation, medical device development, and the safe application of digital technologies. During a recent visit to China, Octavianus and the Indonesian delegation explored AI-based tools in primary healthcare, including technologies that support early diagnosis and patient management. They also looked at new developments in rapid molecular tests for tuberculosis, which is a major focus of Indonesia’s national TB elimination program.

A key part of the partnership is sharing technology, which will help Indonesia make its own medical tools and innovations. Octavianus said international cooperation should provide real benefits, like stronger national capabilities and secure health data.

By supporting local innovation and knowledge sharing, the laboratory aims to boost Indonesia’s health services, strengthen the medical industry, and make the country a center for health research.