The government continues to be committed to efforts to increase domestic pharmaceutical resilience, especially in the development of phytopharmacology. Law No. 17 of 2023 concerning Health Article 325 also states that research and development of natural medicine is aimed at realizing the independence of the national pharmaceutical industry.

Director of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Resilience Roy Himawan said Indonesia is endowed with a wealth of biological resources with potential for phytopharmaca development that must be fully utilized. The richness of biodiversity and the ability to provide raw materials are the basic capital to support the development of natural medicines.

"We already have 11,000 herbal medicine products, more than 70 standardized herbal medicine products, but only 24 phytopharmaca products," he said in a Focus Group Discussion on the Formulation of a Joint Movement Action Plan for Phytopharmaca Development in Jakarta on September 5-6, 2023.

Himawan further added that 40 percent of drug molecules approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) over the past 10 years were sourced from natural materials, and 70 percent were indicated as anti-cancer.

Natural-based medicine is the greatest potential to be developed in our country, hopefully we can be more productive to accelerate so that the production of phytopharmaca is more and more in Indonesia. "Why can't we bring out from Indonesia, a superior medicinal plant, which becomes the brand image of Indonesia?" Himawan asked.

Himawan also explained that in order to accelerate the development and utilization of natural materials, intensive coordination between ministries/institutions, researchers, and business actors is needed. Therefore, a joint movement action plan (Geber) is needed in the development of phytopharmaca.

On the same occasion, Assistant Deputy for Health Service Improvement, Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Mrs. Nia Reviani conveyed the President's direction to all Ministries / Institutions that "we must prioritize domestic products, be proud of Indonesian products not only in the field of pharmaceuticals and medical devices but in all sectors and phytopharmaca is also his focus," said Reviani.

This is in line with Presidential Instruction Number 2 of 2022 concerning the Acceleration of Increasing the Use of Domestic Products and Products of Micro, Small and Cooperative Enterprises, in order to succeed the National Movement of Proudly Made in Indonesia (BBI).

"And strengthened by the Decree of the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Number 22 of 2019 concerning the Task Force for the Acceleration of the Development and Utilization of Phytopharmacia which is a reference when we talk about policy," said Reviani.

The Task Force for the Acceleration of Phytopharmaca Development and Utilization consists of five fields, namely the field of raw materials, the field of manufacturing technology and standardization, the field of clinical and preclinical trials, the field of traditional health services, and the field of phytopharmaca production and promotion, with members from across Ministries / Institutions, Universities, and Associations.