VZCZCXRO5490
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0814/01 1140905
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230905Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8796
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
INFO RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J07/CATMED/CAT//
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8403
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2385
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1102
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7754

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000814 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, G/AIAG AND OES 
USAID FOR ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/MLEAVITT/WSTEIGER AND HHS/NIH 
GENEVA FOR WHO/HOHMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC EAGR AMGT PGOV ID
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO DISCUSSES HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT 
CONCERNS WITH HHS SECRETARY LEAVITT 
 
1.(SBU) Summary. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono thanked U.S. 
Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt for the 
 
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United States' assistance in fighting highly pathogenic avian 
influenza in an April 14 meeting, and stated that he wants to 
resolve the virus sharing issue quickly, through intensifying 
bilateral talks.  Secretary Leavitt emphasized the importance of not 
letting differences in avian influenza policy hinder cooperation in 
other health areas, while noting the potential for additional 
cooperation for science and technology exchange.  Coordinating 
Minister of People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie pledged that Indonesia 
will try to resolve the sample sharing issues within two months.  In 
addition to health concerns, Yudhoyono discussed his concerns with 
rising food prices, energy conversion, and environmental challenges, 
which he linked to quality of life issues for Indonesians. A list of 
meeting participants is contained in paragraph 6. End Summary. 
 
Resolving Sample Sharing and Building Partnership 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶2. (SBU) U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Leavitt, 
accompanied by four members of his delegation and Ambassador Hume, 
met April 14 with President Yudhoyono to discuss highly pathogenic 
avian influenza, other infectious diseases and increased scientific 
collaboration between both countries.  The Indonesian Ministers of 
Health, Foreign Affairs and People's Welfare also attended the 
meeting.  President Yudhoyono warmly welcomed the Secretary, and 
expressed appreciation for the over $40 million in assistance the 
U.S. Government (USG) has invested in the fight against the H5N1 
strain of avian influenza. Yudhoyono recognized President Bush's 
leadership in improving the U.S. and Indonesian relationship, and 
noted he's looking forward to their next meeting on the margins of 
the G8 Leaders' Summit in July.  Yudhoyono also expressed 
appreciation for Ambassador Hume's personal interest in influenza 
and acknowledged Hume's recent visit to Tangerang. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Yudhoyono stated he wants to resolve the issues around the 
sharing of avian influenza viruses quickly.  He said Indonesia wants 
to work in partnership and cooperation with other countries but 
needs to see a concrete plan on how its people will benefit from 
sample sharing.  The President attempted to assure Secretary Leavitt 
that Indonesia intends to share samples, but said the Government of 
Indonesia (GOI) wants to address the issue of equitable access to 
drugs and vaccines.  Yudhoyono commented that Indonesia and the 
United States should go "beyond the process under the World Health 
Organization (WHO)" to resolve the remaining issues in intensive, 
bilateral talks.  Yudhoyono also noted that Indonesia is trying to 
improve the clinical management in hospitals of patients infected 
with the H5N1 virus, but needs more resources and international 
partnership.  Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Bakrie 
stated that, with sufficient effort, Indonesia likely could resolve 
the sample sharing impasse within two months. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Secretary Leavitt described earlier, positive meetings 
during the day with the Indonesian Ministers of Foreign Affairs, 
Agriculture, Health and People's Welfare, and noted a mutual 
commitment not to let disagreements over influenza policy hinder 
important bilateral cooperation in other areas, such as 
tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria.  Leavitt emphasized his concerns 
about the Indonesian position on sample sharing; he noted that 
viruses do not recognize borders and should not be viewed as 
property. He described the USG's investment of $1.2 billion in 
influenza vaccine development, and said this investment will lead to 
increased access to affordable vaccines for other countries through 
new cell-culture technologies.  He reiterated the United States is 
committed to ensuring the availability of vaccines against a 
pandemic strain of influenza, and expressed concern about changing 
the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network.  Although the 
Secretary said he is supportive of equitable access to vaccines and 
 
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medicines as a global objective, he underlined that he believes it 
should not be directly linked to the sharing of virus samples. 
 
NAMRU-2 as a Shared Asset 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Secretary Leavitt described the Naval Medical Research Unit 
 
JAKARTA 00000814  002 OF 002 
 
 
(NAMRU-2) as a valuable asset to the global health agenda of the 
United States, and as a valuable asset for Indonesia as well.  The 
Secretary commented that he now better understood Indonesian 
 
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sensitivity regarding the status of NAMRU-2 as a U.S. military 
facility that is working within the Ministry of Health.  He 
suggested that NAMRU-2 arrange for Indonesian senior leadership to 
visit other Department of Defense overseas laboratories to better 
understand NAMRU's role in their host countries.   President 
Yudhoyono noted his support for the laboratory, and expressed his 
opinion that the remaining issues within NAMRU-2's ongoing 
Memorandum of Understanding negotiations could be resolved. 
 
Food Prices, Biofuels and Environment 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Yudhoyono described growing concerns with rising food 
prices in Indonesia and the linkage with land usage, biofuels and 
environmental concerns.  Yudhoyono sees a need for global 
cooperation on food production and has written to the 
Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) to suggest that the UN 
 
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host a conference on climate change, energy costs and the global 
food supply.  Yudhoyono described the importance of balancing 
development objectives with protecting the environment and explained 
that Indonesia is working on plans to better use land already in 
production.   Yudhoyono also commented on decentralization's role in 
changing Indonesia and improving access to services, through 
shifting power to local governments. 
 
Meeting Participants 
--------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) Indonesia: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Coordinating 
Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie, Minister of Health 
Siti Fadilah Supari, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirajuda, 
Presidential Advisor Dino Patti Jalal. 
 
¶8. (U) United States: HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt; Ambassador 
Cameron Hume; HHS Assistant Secretary for Budget, Technology and 
Finance Charles Johnson; Special Assistant to the HHS Secretary for 
International Affairs William Steiger; HHS Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of Public Affairs Holly Babin; Director of the Office of 
 
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Asia and the Pacific within the HHS Office of Global Health Affairs 
Christopher Hickey; and HHS Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention Country Director Frank Mahoney. 
 
¶9. (U) Secretary Leavitt's party cleared this cable. 
 
HUME