Australia and Indonesia Share Research on Infectious Diseases

Minister Kusmayanto Kadiman, Minister for Research and Technology, and Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer today opened a workshop on Human Health and Infectious Diseases at the Ministry of Research and Technology (RISTEK) in Jakarta.

“This workshop is a very welcome opportunity for experts from Indonesia and Australia to share their research and knowledge into infectious diseases, an issue of great importance to both our nations,” Mr Farmer said.

The two-day workshop brings together leading Australian and Indonesian researchers and government officials to discuss health issues such as Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Hepatitis Virus, Human Avian Influenza, H5N1 in Poultry and Vector-Borne Diseases.

Prof John Mackenzie from the Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre and Curtin University of Technology is leading the Australian delegation of 13 medical experts and Professor Sangkot Marzuki, Director of the Eijkman Institute, is convening the Indonesian delegation of 17 human health specialists.

“As Australia and Indonesia belong to a global village, we need to be aware of and prepared for possible new and previously unrecognised diseases arising around the world which could cause enormous economic problems,” Prof Mackenzie said

This Indonesia-Australia workshop is a follow up commitment from the Australia-Indonesia Joint Working Group in Science and Innovation, Research and Technology held in Jakarta in June 2007.

The workshop is jointly organized by RISTEK, the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.

Further information:
Jenny Dee (Counsellor Public Affairs) tel. (021) 2553 5290 mob. 0811 187 3175