TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has stated that the decision to include Jakarta as a location for clinical trials of the M72 tuberculosis (TB) vaccine rests with the central government. He indicated that Jakarta would comply with any decision made by the national authorities.
"If the central government decides to include Jakarta as one of the vaccination sites, we will just follow [their direction]," Pramono said during a media briefing following his visit to the World of Coffee event at the Jakarta Convention Center in Central Jakarta on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
Pramono acknowledged that tuberculosis cases in Jakarta have shown an increasing trend over the past one to two days. "But, there is no need to overreact," the former Cabinet Secretary emphasized.
He highlighted that he has launched the White Force volunteer program and the Jak Care and Jak Ambulance services specifically for tuberculosis management in Jakarta. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) politician confirmed these services have already been deployed in areas such as East Jakarta and South Jakarta.
Quoting Ani Ruspitawati, Head of the Jakarta Health Office, Antara reported that East Jakarta has a particularly high number of tuberculosis cases. Data indicates that 2,645 residents in Jakarta were infected with tuberculosis between January and March 2025. Currently, 274 neighborhood units (RWs) in Jakarta are on tuberculosis alert status.
The clinical trial of the Bill Gates-funded TB vaccine in Indonesia was first announced by President Prabowo Subianto during Gates' visit to the country on Thursday, May 7. Prabowo confirmed that the vaccine would undergo clinical trials in Indonesia.
Prabowo also noted that Gates had provided a grant of Rp2.5 trillion to Indonesia. Furthermore, Gates agreed to support the free nutritious meal program, a key initiative by Prabowo aimed at providing free meals to students.
The TB vaccine funded by the Bill Gates Foundation, known as M72, has advanced to Phase Three clinical trials. Indonesia is one of five countries participating in this phase, which involves a total of 20,000 participants globally. In Indonesia specifically, 2,095 individuals are taking part in the trial.
This Phase Three clinical trial commenced in early September 2024 and concluded at the end of April this year. The trial is being conducted at five health education institutions across Indonesia and is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2028.
Dede Leni contributed to the writing of this article.
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