BPOM Strengthens Food and Drug Surveillance for National Health Safety

JAKARTA - Strengthening the drug and food surveillance system is the key to ensuring the safety of Indonesia's public health access. This was said by the Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Taruna Ikrar.

This emerged in the series of BPOM's 25th anniversary which was marked by the BPOM Expo 2026, at the BPOM RI Office Complex, Jakarta.

"One of the most beautiful gifts on this birthday is that BPOM has been aligned with the national regulatory authority of developed countries, by officially becoming a WHO Listed Authority," said Taruna, quoting ANTARA, Saturday, January 31.

WHO Listed Authority (WLA) is a global recognition status given by WHO to a country's drug and food regulatory agency that has met the highest international standards in terms of safety, quality, and effectiveness.

According to Taruna, the BPOM Expo is a cross-sector meeting space between regulators, industry, academics, and the public to strengthen the national health ecosystem in collaborating to ensure that every drug, food, and supplement product in circulation meets safety, quality, and efficacy standards.

This status, said Taruna, also marked the strengthening of the credibility of BPOM in protecting consumers while supporting the independence of the national health sector.

The BPOM Expo 2026 was attended by a number of ministers, representatives of industry associations, international academics, and BPOM officials from across Indonesia, as a manifestation of a joint commitment to strengthening health services that are oriented towards public interest.

One of them was conveyed by the President Director of PT Kalbe Farma Tbk Irawati Setiady. He said that collaboration with BPOM is important to maintain a balance between innovation and consumer protection.

"The momentum of 25 years of BPOM reminds us that consumer protection is a shared responsibility. The industry has a role to ensure that every product meets safety and quality standards," he said.

BPOM Expo also highlights the Academic-Business-Government (ABG) collaboration model which is considered effective in encouraging innovation as well as accelerating public access to safe and quality health products.

On the same occasion, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin hopes that the synergy between BPOM and the Ministry of Health can further strengthen the investment climate in the health sector, without neglecting the aspect of public safety.

"With strong and facilitative regulations, the national pharmaceutical industry can develop and contribute to economic growth," said the Minister of Health.

The BPOM's 25th anniversary celebration carries the theme "25 Years of Commitment to Monitoring the Quality of Medicines and Food Towards Golden Indonesia 2045", which emphasizes that the safety of medicines and food is the foundation for the development of quality human resources and national resilience.