610.69 Ind d - Departemen Kesehatan Republik Indonesia

I’ll remember Dr. Endang
as a scientist and politician
Brad Gessner
I first met Dr. Endang during our work together on the six year
Lombok Hib vaccine trial, for which she served as the primary
investigator. From the start it was clear that Dr. Endang planned
to be a hands-on PI, and her clear grasp of the scientific issues
helped this study become recognized as one of the most
comprehensive and important vaccine trials ever conducted. Data
from this trial have been included in over a dozen manuscripts,
including three in the The Lancet, and have helped inform global
opinions on pneumonia, vaccines, and infant mortality. Her keen
political acumen helped guide the trial through some tricky
times, including the Asian financial crises, the fall of the Suharto
government, the rise of anti-vaccine NGOs, and rioting on
Lombok Island itself, all good training for her eventual position
as Minister of Health.
We worked together again on the Indonesian Technical Advisory
Group on Immunizations (ITAGI), where I was invited to attend
the first session of the newly created group. Later, in her position
as Minister of Health, Dr. Endang provided support to the ITAGI
and to the collaboration between the ITAGI and my organization
(AMP) through the SIVAC Project. The last time I saw her was late
in 2011 when we met to discuss the future direction of the ITAGI.
At that time, I thought that Dr. Endang looked as young and
energetic as the first time I met her, which everyone can see in
the attached picture.
I’ll remember Dr. Endang as a scientist and politician, but also as
a strong defender of Indonesia and the rights of Indonesia in the
world, a tireless supporter of public health and the underserved,
and not least as a friend. The world will be a poorer place for her
passing, but I feel privileged to have known her for the time that
she was given on this earth.
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