As the world moves closer to eradicating polio, protecting communities from any possible reintroduction of the virus remains essential. In Indonesia, a key part of that effort is ensuring that facilities that handle poliovirus materials do so safely and securely.
Indonesia has reached an important milestone in this work. This year, Bio Farma, the country's vaccine manufacturer, received an internationally recognized Certificate of Containment from the Global Certification Commission for the Eradication of Poliomyelitis. The certification confirms that the facility meets strict global standards for the safe handling and storage of poliovirus materials.
The achievement follows more than two years of collaboration between Bio Farma, the Ministry of Health, the Indonesia National Authority for Containment (I-NAC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Since 2023, the institutions have worked together to strengthen safety systems, improve risk management and address recommendations from international assessments. These efforts led to Indonesia receiving an Interim Certificate of Containment in 2025 and then progressing to full certification.
Indonesia is now among the countries in the WHO Western Pacific Region whose designated facilities have achieved this internationally recognized standard. The certification confirms the country's commitment to maintaining the highest levels of safety while supporting global collaboration to eradicate polio.
“Achieving this level of containment is a significant milestone for Indonesia and reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that poliovirus is handled safely and responsibly,” said Dr Indri Yogyaswari, Director of Immunization at the Ministry of Health.
Moving forward, WHO will continue supporting the Ministry of Health, I-NAC and Bio Farma to maintain these standards and strengthen biosafety systems. This will help Indonesia to protect future generations and support the goal of a world free from polio.