President Prabowo and Bill Gates Discuss about TB Vaccine Trials in Indonesia

SEAToday.com, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto said that the issue of TB was one of the things discussed with Microsoft founder Bill Gates in a meeting at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (7/5/2025) morning WIB.

"He is developing a TB vaccine for the world, but Indonesia will be one of the test sites (for the vaccine), and we know that TB claims quite a lot of our victims, almost one hundred thousand of whom die every year," the President said in a statement at the Palace, as quoted by Antara.

President Prabowo met Bill Gates at the Merdeka Palace on Wednesday (7/5) morning WIB. Also attending the meeting were several ministers from the Red and White Cabinet, namely Minister of Investment and Downstream/Head of BKPM Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono.

President Prabowo revealed that Bill Gates through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is currently funding research and trials of the tuberculosis (TB) vaccine. In several countries, the vaccine has entered the clinical trial stage.

According to President Prabowo, Indonesia itself is committed to reducing the death rate from TB. The President said that this has been carried out through several programs including free health checks.

"He has shown commitment, he continues to help us in that area (TB prevention), and he is developing a malaria vaccine," said the President.