National Institute of Health Research and Development (Indonesia)

The National Institute of Health Research and Development (, abbreviated as Balitbangkes) was a supporting unit of the Ministry of Health which is responsible for state research, development, and innovation in the field of health and medical sciences. The agency dissolved and liquidated into National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) on 31 December 2021 as part of BRIN state research activity integration plan.

History

Formation

Before Balitbangkes existed, the agency was preceded by four Health Laboratories under the Indonesian Department of Health formed in 1950-1960s, three were soon founded after the end of Indonesian National Revolution: Institute for People's Food in Bogor (researched human nutrition), Central Institute for Investigation and Eradication of Venereal Diseases in Surabaya (researched transmission and eradication of sexually transmitted diseases and venereal diseases), and Tawangmangu Hortus Medicus in Karanganyar (researched traditional herbal medicines and remedies and collection of medicinal plants), and the last was 1969 founded National Research Institute of Department of Health. The National Research Institute of Department of Health was the direct preceding agency of the current Balitbangkes after consolidating three 1950s founded Health Laboratories and expanded it with additional laboratories that subsequently formed.

By decree, the agency was founded by President Suharto, on 26 August 1974 through issuance of Presidential Decision No. 45/1974, along with other ten research and development agencies founded by this Decision. However, at that time, the agency was still existed on paper and physically inexistent. After procuring enough resources and assets, the agency finally came into being on 12 December 1975 thru Ministry of Health Decree No. 114/1975 and named as Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Kesehatan or colloquially abbreviated as Balitbangkes.

Role in COVID-19 Pandemic Situation in Indonesia

Balitbangkes play significant role in COVID-19 pandemic situation in Indonesia. Balitbangkes play roles in development measures and policies to control COVID-19, and surveilling local variants and SARS-CoV-2 viral evolution in Indonesia thru Whole Genome Sequencing equipments owned by the agency. Balitbangkes and its child agencies also performed 24 ongoing nation-wide multidisciplinary COVID-19 observation studies across Indonesia.

Integration to BRIN and Dissolution

In response of formation of National Research and Innovation Agency as independent agency under the President of Indonesia, the Ministry of Health rearranged their research and development activities which had been long exercised by its Balitbangkes. In the plan, announced on 23 September 2021, Balitbangkes will be transformed into Agency for Health Policies Development (Indonesian: Badan Kebijakan Pembangunan Kesehatan, BKPK), a regulatory agency intended to provide only policies and standards making for state health activity, no longer doing research as the research part will be relinquished to BRIN.

On 7 November 2021, the Ministry issued order to Balitbangkes and its child agencies to halt their activities per 31 December 2021 as unit under auspices of Ministry of Health, effectively started the dismantlement of Balitbangkes. In the order, Balitbangkes will split into three parts: one part (which is the most) relinquished to BRIN, one part to become BKPK, and the rest of the Balitbangkes part in regional level will be relinquished to local government where the Balitbangkes branch formerly existed for being transformed into local-government run public health laboratories for being integrated as part of state public health laboratories system.

In 30 November 2021, BRIN announced that a research organization tentatively named Health and Nutrition Research Organization (Indonesian: Organisasi Riset Kesehatan dan Gizi, ORKG), transformation of the previously from Balitbangkes of will be activated and operated. The successor of Balitbangkes, later named as Health Research Organization (Indonesian: Organisasi Riset Kesehatan, OR Kesehatan) formed officially on 1 March 2022 and functional on 4 March 2022.

Fate of remnants of Balitbangkes

All research centers remnants of former Balitbangkes subsequently subsumed into Directorate General of Public Health of the Ministry of Health and converted into its units. Despite the integration to BRIN, some health research activities that not relinquished to BRIN still performed by Ministry of Health. Research in human genome sequencing and biobank, biorepository, and bioinformatics development and management currently performed by Indonesian Institute for Biomedics and Human Genomics. Lab-based diagnostics, modelling, early warning, and fast response system development and utilization for disease surveillance and responding plagues and/or other health incidents performed thru Indonesian public health laboratories system, which absorbed all former Balitbangkes regional branches. Public health inspection and referral system development and counter-bioterrorism response development performed by Indonesian Institute for Health Biology. Research and maintenance of biorepository of disease vectors, reservoir, and zoonotic agents, and research in environmental health and counter-CBRN response development performed by Indonesian Institute for Environmental Health Laboratory.

Structure

The Structure of Balitbangkes is as follows:

1. Office of the Head of Balitbangkes
2. Office of the Secretary of Balitbangkes
3. * Subdivision of General Administration Affairs
4. Center for Biomedical and Basic Medical Technologies Research and Development (Center No.1)
5. * Division of General Administration Affairs
6. ** Subdivision of Programs and Cooperation
7. ** Subdivision of Finance, Employment, and General Affairs
8. * Division of Biomedical Sciences
9. ** Subdivision of Communicable Diseases
10. ** Subdivision of Non-Communicable Diseases
11. * Division of Health Basic Technologies
12. ** Subdivision of Biological-based Products
13. ** Subdivision of Instruments and Diagnostic Products
14. * Bacteriology Laboratory
15. * BSL-3 Laboratory
16. * Immunology Laboratory
17. * Virology Laboratory
18. * Stem Cell Laboratory
19. * Nutrition and Food Laboratory
20. * Pharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratory
21. * Parasitology Laboratory
22. * Testing Animal Laboratory
23. Center for Health Resources and Health Service Research and Development (Center No. 2)
24. * Subdivision of General Administration Affairs
25. * Division of Administration Development
26. ** Subdivision of Development for Human Resources and Financing of Health Researches, Developments, and Assessments
27. * Division of Health Resources Development
28. ** Subdivision of Health Resources Development
29. ** Subdivision of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
30. ** Subdivision of Health Human Resource Development
31. * Division of Health Services Development
32. ** Subdivision of Primary Health Services and Health Referral Services
33. ** Subdivision of Traditional Health Services and Health Supporting Services
34. Center for Public Health Efforts Research and Development (Center No. 3)
35. * Division of Diseases Prevention and Control
36. ** Subdivision of Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health
37. ** Subdivision of Communicable Diseases
38. * Division of Public Health
39. ** Subdivision of Nutrition and Family Health
40. ** Subdivision of Community Health
41. * Division of General Administration Affairs
42. ** Subdivision of Finance, Employment, and General Affairs
43. ** Subdivision of Programs and Cooperation
44. Center for Humanities and Health Management Research and Development (Center No. 4)
45. * Division of Health Humanities
46. ** Subdivision of Law and Ethics
47. ** Subdivision of Social and Cultural Affairs
48. * Division of Health Management
49. ** Subdivision of Funding
50. ** Subdivision of Policy Analysis
51. * Division of General Administration Affairs
52. ** Subdivision of Finance, Employment, and General Affairs
53. ** Subdivision of Programs and Cooperation
54. Indonesian Center for Research and Development of Disease Vectors and Reservoirs
55. * Subdivision of General Administration Affairs
56. * Division of Administration Development
57. ** Subdivision of Development for Human Resources and Financing of Health Researches, Developments, and Assessments
58. * Division of Programs, Cooperation, and Information Networking
59. ** Subdivision of Programs and Evaluation of Researches, Developments, and Assessments Activities
60. ** Subdivision of Cooperation and Networking
61. * Division of Experimental Services and Equipment
62. ** Subdivision of Technical Support
63. ** Subdivision of Research and Development Equipment
64. * Virology Laboratory
65. * Bacteriology Laboratory
66. * Parasitology Laboratory
67. * Disease Vectors Reference Collection Laboratory
68. * Disease Reservoirs Reference Collection Laboratory
69. * Histopathology Laboratory
70. * Insecticide Testing Laboratory
71. * Botanical Pesticide Testing Laboratory
72. * Health Behavior and Health Promotion, Epidemiology, GIS, and Biostatistical Laboratory
73. * Environmental Laboratory
74. * Testing Animal Laboratory
75. * Hybridoma Technology Laboratory
76. * Insectarium and Biocontrol Laboratory
77. Indonesian Center for Research and Development of Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine
78. * Division of General Administration Affairs
79. ** Subdivision of General Affairs
80. ** Subdivision of Finance
81. * Division of Programs, Cooperation, and Information Networking
82. ** Subdivision of Programs and Evaluation
83. ** Subdivision of Cooperation and Information Networking
84. * Division of Experimental Services and Equipment
85. ** Subdivision of Technical Support
86. ** Subdivision of Research and Development Equipment
87. * Plant Systematic Laboratory
88. * Galenic Formulation Laboratory
89. * Phytochemistry Laboratory
90. * Formulation Laboratory
91. * Microbiology Laboratory
92. * Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory
93. * Biomolecular Laboratory
94. * Jamu Scientification Clinic Laboratory
95. * Postharvest Laboratory
96. * Pest and Plant Disease Control Laboratory
97. * Pharmacology Laboratory
98. * Medicinal Plants Cultivation Laboratory
99. Class I Center for Health Research and Development Magelang (Nutrition Science)
100. Class I Center for Health Research and Development Donggala (Schistosomiasis Investigation and Control)
101. Class I Center for Health Research and Development Banjarnegara (Leptospirosis Investigation and Control)
102. Class II Center for Health Research and Development Tanah Bumbu (Fasciolopsis Investigation and Control)
103. Class II Center for Health Research and Development Papua (Leprosy Investigation and Control)
104. Class II Center for Health Research and Development Baturaja (Filariasis Investigation and Control)
105. Class II Center for Health Research and Development Aceh (Tuberculosis Investigation and Control)
106. Pangandaran Malaria Research Station, Pangandaran
107. Waikabubak Arbovirosis Research Station, Waikabubak, East Nusa Tenggara

References