Indonesia Hosts the 13th DCVMN Meeting

(10/27/2012)

Indonesia Raya News reports that the 13th Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network Meeting (DCVMN) will take place in Kuta, Bali, October 31 - November 02, 2012.

“With the trust given to Indonesia to act we are also hoping that Indonesia can form partnerships with developing and Islamic countries, especially in research and development of new vaccine,” said M. Rahman Rustan, corporate secretary of PT Bio Farma.

In addition Bio Farma hopes to produce new vaccine strains for the developed countries.

Rustan says that “PT Bio Farma is Indonesia’s only vaccine manufacturer that hopes to become the research and the vaccine development center.

Rustan hopes that via the meetings to take place in Bali, the ability to both produce and ensure high quality of vaccine manufactured by developing countries can be enhanced in order that public health can be advanced.

This international meeting involves 37 manufacturers from 14 countries including Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, India, South Korea, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.

DCVMN’s membership is comprised of vaccine manufacturers several developing countries, first formed in 1999 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.

DCVMN’S First President was the then CEO of PT Bio Farma. The initial formation of the group reflected Bio Farma’s desire to help protect developing countries against the global threat of contagious disease.

According to Rustan, this challenge has been met in large part through increasing the supply and quality of vaccines produced by developing countries.

Much of the vaccine available in the global market today is manufactured by developed countries and sold at prices that are costly for the developing nations.

DCVMN’s commitment to encourage developing countries in the production of high quality and affordable vaccines is intended to eventually provide the third world with more financial independence.

Contributed by Denny Lim.