Jakarta, 20 February 2024: ERIA and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening Indonesia’s national health policy through various health transformation programs as well as strengthening Indonesia's capacity in Indonesia-led international initiatives related to health policies. The signatories of the MoU were Dr Syarifah Liza Munira, Deputy Minister for Health Policy Agency in the Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia, and Mr Koji Hachiyama, Chief Operating Officer of ERIA.

The signing ceremony took place at ERIA’s office, witnessed by His Excellency Mr Budi Gunawan Sadikin, Minister of Health of Indonesia, and Mr Tetsuya Watanabe, President of ERIA.

Minister Budi Sadikin expressed great enthusiasm for the signing of this MoU, particularly in light of Indonesia's ageing society. He emphasised the importance of taking actions to enhance Indonesia's life expectancy, drawing inspiration from neighboring countries. ‘I want to really understand the real science of ageing, and I want to be able to write a policy based on data, what is the most effective way for any country when the populations are ageing,’ said Minister Budi Sadikin, referencing a study being conducted by the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, and ERIA entitled ‘Longevity in the Indonesian Population:  Nutrition and health status, dietary intake, lifestyle profile, and quality of life from Gili Iyang and Miduana Villages’.

Mr Tetsuya Watanabe welcomed the delegations and expressed ERIA's commitment to expanding collaboration with the Indonesian Government. ‘Through the MOU that we are signing today, ERIA is committed to expand our collaboration with the Indonesian Government to tackle together important issues, such as primary care, secondary care, health technology and health resilience, aligning with Indonesia’s national government and regional priorities,’ said Mr Watanabe.

‘While ageing issue is our initial focus or a starter, we are also committed to facilitating business collaboration between Indonesia and Japan’s health and medical service industries,’ Mr Watanabe added.

The event was also attended by notable figures in the field of health and academia, including Professor Ari Fahrial Syam, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Professor Yasuhiko Saito from Nihon University, and Dr Kenji Shibuya from Medical Excellence Japan. Dr Ariel Pradipta, the Project Coordinator of the study on longevity from the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas  Indonesia, presented the Progress Report of the project.

The MoU, valid for five years, outlines the collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Health of Indonesia and ERIA to enhance Indonesia's national health policy and capacity. Under this framework, both parties will work together in various activities, such as the exchange of information, knowledge, and technology; the exchange of experts and officials; training and capacity building, including through internships, secondment of MoH officers to ERIA, workshops, and other programs; joint studies and publication; and joint projects including studies on policy implementations.

The signing of the MoU signifies a significant milestone in the partnership between the Ministry of Health of Indonesia and ERIA, paving the way for collaborative efforts to enhance the health landscape in Indonesia and the wider region.