On Wednesday, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced that philanthropist Bill Gates is developing a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with Indonesia selected as one of the trial locations. The announcement was made during a meeting between President Prabowo and Bill Gates at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.
"He is developing a tuberculosis vaccine for the world; Indonesia will be one of the places where it will be tested," President Prabowo Subianto stated, according to CNN Indonesia. The president emphasized the urgency of addressing tuberculosis in Indonesia, where the disease causes approximately 100,000 deaths annually. Handling TB has become a priority for the Indonesian government, and this collaboration marks a step towards that goal.
Bill Gates initiated trials for the tuberculosis vaccine M72/AS01E in Indonesia, including two designated trial sites to determine its effectiveness. The trials were conducted in Indonesia along with six other countries since 2024, involving approximately 20,000 participants. The phase 3 research for the tuberculosis vaccine is being conducted in five countries: South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and Indonesia.
Prabowo welcomed Gates's commitment to help Indonesia in the field of vaccination. "Mr. Bill Gates shows a strong commitment to help Indonesia in the health sector," he added, as reported by CNN Indonesia. The president expressed his determination to reduce the number of deaths caused by tuberculosis and mentioned that the Indonesian government is implementing several programs, including free health checks, to address this issue.
In addition to the tuberculosis vaccine, Bill Gates is also developing a malaria vaccine. "He shows commitment, he continues to help in that field (TB prevention), and he is developing a malaria vaccine," President Prabowo said, according to CNN Indonesia. The malaria vaccine being developed is hoped to be a solution for tropical countries, including Indonesia.
Hari Menon, a representative of the Gates Foundation, emphasized the necessity of a new tuberculosis vaccine. "There have been many developments in vaccine technology since the BCG vaccine was made. But it should be noted that TB is a disease that attacks the poor in poor countries, so no one is using funding on research for the next-generation vaccine. Therefore, we are focusing on that," he said, as reported by Liputan 6. The BCG vaccine, discovered in 1921, has limited effectiveness, especially in adolescents and adults, underscoring the need for a new vaccine.
The Gates Foundation is developing the new TB vaccine M72/AS01E, with trials underway in Indonesia and other high-burden TB countries. The World Health Organization projects that it could prevent 76 million cases and save USD 41.5 billion over 25 years. If the new vaccine proves effective, it will reduce tuberculosis cases in Indonesia. Erlina Burhan of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) expressed support for the clinical trials, stating, "The Indonesian Doctors Association supports it because if this new vaccine is effective, it will have many benefits for the world and Indonesia to achieve tuberculosis elimination," according to CNN Indonesia.
The collaboration extends to the development of TB diagnostic tools. Hari Menon noted, "TB diagnostics generally require sputum samples, and this is not an easy method. If the quality of the sputum is not good, then the results you get are not reliable. Currently, there has been progress where someone can use saliva-based tests that can provide TB diagnoses that are so accurate," as reported by Liputan 6. The Gates Foundation intends to facilitate these solutions in Indonesia, potentially including them in the Free Health Check program.
There is also interest in partnering with domestic manufacturers in Indonesia to produce the tuberculosis vaccine and accelerate the procurement of diagnostic tools. "Local partners like Bio Farma will be very important because Indonesia is one of the few countries capable of producing vaccines in large quantities at low cost," Hari Menon stated, according to Liputan 6. He expressed hope that local health companies can partner with the Gates Foundation for the production of the vaccine.
Globally, tuberculosis remains the world's leading infectious killer, with over 1 billion people having died from the disease over the past two centuries. Currently, tuberculosis kills more than 4,000 people every day worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for effective interventions. The BCG vaccine has been used for over 100 years, and its limited effectiveness, especially in adolescents and adults, has prompted the search for a new vaccine.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.