Deputy Minister of SOEs Inspects Bio Farma’s Vaccine Production Capacity Expansion

^{Image: Deputy Minister of SOEs, Dony Oskaria (center) accompanied by President Director of Bio Farma, Shadiq Akasya during the production facility visit.}

On November 29, 2024, Bio Farma welcomed a visit from Dony Oskaria, Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) of the Republic of Indonesia, accompanied by Fadjar Judisiawan, Assistant Deputy for the Health Industry (INKES). The President Director of Bio Farma, Shadiq Akasya, along with the board of directors, greeted the delegation.

The purpose of the visit was to assess Bio Farma's efforts to enhance its production capacity and strengthen both national and global health resilience.

In his remarks, Deputy Minister of SOEs Dony Oskaria emphasized the importance of the company’s focus on improving performance to provide value to society.

"Bio Farma plays a significant role in society, making substantial contributions to National Health Security and the global community. With its products reaching 740 million people worldwide, both Indonesians and the global population benefit greatly from Bio Farma's impact," Dony stated.

Additionally, Dony expressed his hope that Bio Farma will become a regional hub for vaccine production in the future.

As the only vaccine manufacturer in ASEAN with a WHO prequalification certificate for export, Bio Farma holds a strong competitive advantage, enabling it to expand its contributions further. "I hope that in the coming years, Bio Farma will evolve into a regional hub for vaccine production," Dony added.

Shadiq Akasya, President Director of Bio Farma, stated that it is an honor for the company to play a pivotal role in maintaining national health security and contributing to global health.

“Bio Farma currently offers 17 products to meet the vaccination needs of the government, the domestic private sector, and exports. With an annual production capacity exceeding 3 billion doses, the company plans to further expand its production capabilities. This will enhance national health security and strengthen Indonesia's global position through health diplomacy,” Shadiq explained.

The Deputy Minister of SOEs and his team, accompanied by Bio Farma’s directors, toured the company’s vaccine production facilities. These included production lines for vaccines such as pertussis, polio, BCG, typhoid, Hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza type B. They also inspected the production facility for nOPV2 (type 2 polio vaccine), a key export product for the company.

For over 50 years, Bio Farma has played a crucial role in enhancing both national and global health security. The company has provided vital vaccine support to the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Expanded Programme on Immunization, helping prevent 154 million child deaths. Additionally, Bio Farma has been a significant contributor to national immunization efforts, achieving an impressive coverage rate of 94.6% by 2022.