Word: jakarta
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...would never be able to afford. They had a point; poor developing nations are often priced out of needed medicines, and they're likely to be the last in line for vaccine during a pandemic. Desperate to get the supply of samples flowing once more, WHO officials came to Jakarta in late March to broker a deal, assuring Indonesia that their samples would not be given to drug companies without the government's permission. Indonesia seemed to agree to resume sharing, but a month and a half later, the WHO says it still has yet to receive any virus samples...
...Indonesia Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari tells TIME that there's been a lack of "goodwill" from the WHO, and that Indonesia won't share a single virus with the international community until it receives a "green light" from the WHO that Jakarta would retain commercial control of its samples. "We feel let down by the WHO," she said in an interview last Friday. "We only demand fairness...
...when pressed on exactly what Indonesia what it will take to get that "green light," Supari is less than specific. She says she doesn't necessarily need an agreement in "black and white" recognizing Indonesia's ownership rights, yet goes on to argue that Jakarta should have final say on any vaccines made from its viruses. For its part, the WHO has tried hard to accommodate Indonesia's objections. At a high-level meeting in Geneva late last month, the WHO raised the possibility of creating a virtual vaccine stockpile that developing countries might be able to draw upon...
...important mutation that might mean H5N1 is ready to go pandemic. (Currently H5N1 only rarely infects human beings, but flu viruses change constantly - hence the need for up-to-date analysis.) Since Indonesia is where most new human bird flu cases have been occurring - as one Jakarta official acknowledged with a twist of pride, "We do have the most deadly virus" - scientists need to see Indonesian samples. That can help them pinpoint exactly when a pandemic might be in its beginning stages, still early enough to be controlled with a rapid response. Indonesia may be right to criticize unfair access...
...Still, those at the heart of the scene fear that their audience may not be willing to pay the admission fees necessary to sustain it. When two little-known Scandavian bands recently played in Jakarta, the kids were willing to shell out $40 for the show, while a gig with five local bands would struggle to charge $5, even with a free drink. "The kids have to realize that the scene will only survive as long as they support it," adds Keke. "The bands may be local but that doesn't mean they're not as good as foreign acts...