The Gates Foundation reaffirmed its long-standing partnership with Indonesia during a high-level visit to Jakarta, underscoring a shared commitment to accelerating progress on national and regional priorities particularly improving health outcomes, advancing innovation, and promoting inclusive growth to help ensure that people everywhere, especially those in the world’s poorest communities, can lead healthy and productive lives.
During the visit, Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates met with President Prabowo Subianto to discuss progress in key areas of shared focus. These include expanding access to vaccines through local manufacturing and distribution, improving primary healthcare systems, strengthening nutrition initiatives, driving financial inclusion and economic empowerment, fostering innovation in agriculture, and scaling digital public infrastructure.
At the core of this partnership is a shared commitment to equity, making sure that lifesaving medicines, vaccines, and health technologies reach the people who need them most. By supporting Indonesia’s growing manufacturing and R&D capabilities, including through partnerships with institutions like Bio Farma, the Gates Foundation is helping reduce costs and expand access to essential health tools, advancing progress not just for Indonesia, but for millions of people in low- and middle-income countries around the world.
“Indonesia’s leadership on health, both in Southeast Asia and global,y is impressive, and we’re proud to be a long-term partner,” said Mr. Gates. “From Bio Farma’s role in regional vaccine manufacturing, to Indonesia’s investments in digital public infrastructure and financial inclusion, the country is showing how innovation can expand opportunity and improve lives.”
President Prabowo and Mr. Gates also joined a roundtable with Indonesian philanthropic leaders to explore ways to strengthen homegrown giving and enhance the role of local philanthropy in advancing inclusive, sustainable development. The dialogue underscored the growing impact of homegrown initiatives in advancing national goals and regional cooperation.
The Gates Foundation has supported Indonesia with over $300 million in grants since 2009, across sectors like health, sanitation, nutrition, financial inclusion, and agriculture. The Gates Foundation has a critical relationship with Bio Farma, which has helped hundreds of millions across over 100 countries access the polio vaccine.
The foundation is also supporting us in trials for a novel tuberculosis vaccine,” said President Prabowo Subianto. “Considering Mr. Gates’ contribution to humanity, I would like to confer the highest honour a foreigner can receive from the Government of Indonesia when I next see him at the sidelines of UN General Assembly week in September 2025.”
This year marks the Gates Foundation’s 25th anniversary, a milestone that reflects its impact to date and vision for the future. As part of its efforts to drive progress globally, the Foundation has worked in partnership with Indonesian institutions for more than 15 years to support solutions rooted in equity, resilience, and innovation.
The Gates Foundation remains committed to supporting locally led solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities. This visit reflects a deep and growing partnership with the Government of Indonesia and a shared ambition to help Indonesia and the broader region achieve its development goals.
