WNAM REPORT: Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has received the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Goalkeepers” award for his leadership in reforming Indonesia’s health system after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Goalkeepers award honors global figures committed to advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In a keynote speech in New York on Monday (Sept. 22), Sadikin recalled his life story, noting that in 1964, the year he was born, one in seven babies did not survive their first year.
“Thanks to childhood vaccinations like chickenpox, I survived, studied physics, and built a 30-year career in banking before being entrusted as Indonesia’s health minister,” he said.
Appointed in 2020 as the first non-medical professional to lead the ministry, Sadikin was tasked by President Joko Widodo with rolling out COVID-19 vaccinations and carrying out the country’s largest-ever health reform.
In under two years, Indonesia delivered 450 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to about 280 million people across more than 7,000 islands, he said.
“My responsibility was not only guiding the country through crisis but also building a resilient health system to protect every child, family and citizen beyond it,” he said.
Indonesia has since added HPV, PCV and rotavirus vaccines to its national program to cut maternal and child mortality.
“Every year, thousands of mothers and children die from cervical cancer, pneumonia and diarrhea. We must act quickly,” he said.
Revitalizing primary health services is also a priority, with upgrades planned for 10,000 community health centers, 80,000 sub-centers and 300,000 village health posts, supported by development funding.
Under President Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia launched a free national health screening program in February 2025.
“Over 30 million people have participated so far. At 500,000 screenings daily, we expect more than 50 million by year-end,” Sadikin said.
He credited international partners such as Gavi, the Global Fund and the Gates Foundation for their support, stressing that global cooperation was key to sustaining health systems.
