Press Imported Drugs, DPR Supports Local Insulin Production For Diabetics

Illustration of a sugar content detection device in the body commonly used by diabetics. (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives supports the major breakthrough in the Indonesian health world which is now capable of producing the first local insulin for diabetics. This success also has great potential to reduce Indonesia's dependence on insulin imports.

"This is a good thing and needs to be supported by all parties. This success not only marks an increase in the quality of domestic health products, but also has great potential to reduce Indonesia's dependence on imported medicines, including insulin," said DPR Commission IX member Rahmad Handoyo in a statement quoted Tuesday, August 26.

This local raw material insulin has been officially included in the national formulation (fornas), which means it can be borne by BPJS Health's national health insurance (JKN). Rahmad welcomed this because it can help ease the burden on the community, especially people with diabetes.

"This is a significant step forward for the national health industry. I really appreciate this innovation, which shows that we are able to produce high-quality medicines with local raw materials as well as to ease the burden on the community," said Rahmad.

According to him, this local Insulin will not only help reduce the cost of drug procurement through reducing imports, but also open up great opportunities for further development in the domestic pharmaceutical sector.

With the entry of local insulin into the National Forum, Indonesia now has the opportunity to become more independent in the provision of essential medicines, which have been dominated by imported products.

"This will certainly encourage the quality of human resources in the Indonesian health sector to continue to develop and innovate in creating better health solutions in the world of health," said the legislator from the Central Java V electoral district.

To support local insulin innovation, the member of the DPR RI Health Commission also encouraged the Government to intensify programs that support healthy eating movements for the community.

Rahmad said this was important considering that there were many diabetics in Indonesia.

"Currently, cases of non-communicable diseases have dominated Indonesia, so the movement of a healthy lifestyle and diet must be a national movement," he said.

According to Data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Diabetes Melitus is one of the third-highest chronic diseases leading to death in Indonesia in 2019, which is around 57.42 percent of deaths per 100,000 population.

Meanwhile, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Indonesia is ranked fifth in the country with the highest number of diabetes with 19.5 million patients in 2021 and is predicted to be 28.6 million in 2045.

Therefore, Rahmad appealed to the public to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including a diet that can reduce the potential for diabetes.

"This is to prevent non-communicable diseases, one of which is diabetes," he said.

Furthermore, Rahmad invites all parties, starting from the Government, the pharmaceutical industry, health workers, and the community, to work together in optimizing the use of local insulin with the best quality and strengthening preventive efforts in dealing with the threat of diabetes.

Data from the 2018 Indonesian Riskesdas also found that the level of consumption of sweet foods and drinks was still very high, each reaching 87.9 percent and 91.49 percent. In fact, the recommended consumption of sugar per day according to Permenkes Number 30 of 2013 is only 10% of the total energy (200kcal) per person. This consumption is equivalent to 4 tablespoons of sugar per person per day or 50 grams per person per day.

"Let's continue to strengthen our national health system. We must move together to create a healthier and more independent Indonesia in providing quality health services for all its people," said Rahmad.