# 2934
Siti Fadillah Supari Addressing the WHO in 2007
Indonesia’s Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari is no stranger to conspiracy theories (see Supari's Conspiracy Theories), having espoused in her book (Time for the World to Change: God is Behind the Avian Influenza Virus) that the west (that's us) routinely create and release deadly viruses to plague the inhabitants of poorer nations, just so we can sell them expensive vaccines and medicines.
Just over a year ago, this was the big headline out of Indonesia:
Indonesia accuses US of bird flu plot
Mark Forbes Herald Correspondent in Jakarta
February 20, 2008THE Indonesian Health Minister has said the United States and the World Health Organisation are part of a global conspiracy to profit from the spread of bird flu and the US may use samples to produce biological weapons.
With rare exceptions, Indonesia has refused to share bird flu virus samples with the WHO over the past couple of years, severely crimping the world’s ability to study and monitor the virus in that nation.
Now today, we get this report (hat tip History Lover on the Flu Wiki) from the Associated Press, indicating that Supari is considering abandoning many childhood vaccinations over fears that Indonesia is being used as a `testing ground’ by the west.
Indonesian minister wants to review vaccinations
By ZAKKI HAKIM
The Associated Press
March 24, 2009
Indonesia's controversial health minister says she wants to end vaccinating children against meningitis, mumps and some other diseases because she fears foreign drug companies are using the country as a testing ground.
Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari _ who first drew widespread attention by boycotting the World Health Organization's 50-year-old virus sharing system in 2007 _ said Tuesday she wanted 'scientific proof' that shots for illnesses like pneumonia, chicken pox, the flu, rubella and typhoid were 'beneficial'.
'If not, they have to be stopped,' she said, declining to say exactly what that would mean. 'We don't want our country to be a testing place for drugs, as has been the case in Africa.'
Supari said she still would advocate immunizations against measles, polio, tetanus, hepatitis B and tuberculosis.
Her statement comes at a time when Indonesia is struggling to contain outbreaks of preventable childhood illnesses.
Some of this may be political grandstanding, as national elections in Indonesia are but a few weeks away. Demonizing the west is always good for a few extra votes.
Some of it may be budget driven; a way to `save face’ while halting expensive vaccination programs.
Hopefully this is just populist rhetoric.
This latest example of Minister Supari’s ongoing erratic behavior does little to engender confidence in Indonesia’s ability to handle what must be considered the world’s worst bird flu situation.
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