The Indonesian Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry (MoI), Indonesia Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) Johannesburg, and the Indonesian Consulate General Cape Town, participated in the Africa Health 2024 exhibition which took place on October 22-24, 2024 at the Cape Town International Convention Center, South Africa. The event featured more than 500 exhibitors from 40 countries, including 14 country pavilions.

At this exhibition, Indonesia presented 12 domestic medical device industries as exhibitors, showcasing products such as Disposable Syringe, Sphygmomanometer & Stethoscope, IVD, and BMHP, which have met global quality standards.

The Indonesian Pavilion was inaugurated by the Indonesian Consul General in Cape Town, Lo Tudiuno, who appreciated the presence of the Indonesian delegation. “Indonesia's participation in Africa Health 2024 shows Indonesia's increasingly strong economic capabilities, including in the health and medical industry sector,” Lo said.

Meanwhile, Head of ITPC Johannesburg, Tonny Hendriawan, emphasized the importance of this exhibition to expand Indonesia's export market in non-traditional regions. “We want to show that Indonesia is equal to other countries as a global producer of medical devices,” said Tonny.

Director of Medical Devices Control of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Eka Purnamasari added that Indonesia's presence at this exhibition reflects the country's readiness as part of the global supply chain to meet the needs of medical devices in Africa.

“So far, Indonesia still imports a lot of medical devices. However, this participation proves that Indonesia is capable of producing global quality and highly competitive medical devices,” Eka said.

During the three-day exhibition, the Indonesian Pavilion attracted more than 600 visitors from various African countries, such as South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Egypt, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, and Namibia. This participation resulted in potential transactions of USD 2.73 million, as well as various cooperation opportunities.

Indonesian medical device products have been successfully exported to several African countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa, Botswana, Sudan, and Nigeria. Participation in this exhibition is expected to encourage market expansion in the African region, while supporting national economic growth and health security.

Indonesia's participation in Africa Health 2024 is a strategic step in introducing local medical device products in the global market, especially Africa. Eka emphasized the importance of consistency from the government and related partners to expand Indonesia's medical device exports to the international market.

“This effort not only contributes to economic growth, but also supports national health resilience and the improvement of global health services,” Eka concluded.