M. Adhyatma (25 May 1932 – 2 December 1999) was an Indonesian public health official who served as the country's minister of health between 1988 and 1993.[1]

Adhyatma
Minister of Health
In office
23 March 1988 – 11 March 1993
PresidentSuharto
Preceded bySuwardjono Surjaningrat
Succeeded bySujudi
Personal details
Born(1932-05-25)25 May 1932
Semarang, Central Java, Dutch East Indies
Died2 December 1999(1999-12-02) (aged 67)
Jakarta, Indonesia
NationalityIndonesian
SpouseSiti Fatimah
Children3
Alma mater
  • Universitas Indonesia
  • University of Berkeley
OccupationDoctor

Early life and education

edit

Adhyatma received a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health in 1974.[1]

Health Minister

edit

As minister, he prioritized addressing the high cost of drugs and mandated the use of generic drugs at government-operated healthcare facilities. His policies reduced drug costs by 10–15 percent and were met with resistance by the pharmaceutical industry. He was praised for Indonesia's handling of the HIV/AIDS epidemic because the health ministry regularly published case counts, whereas other Asian countries often hid those figures.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "M. Adhyatma: Dedicated Minister of Health who expanded health services for the people of Indonesia". Public Health 75. School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  2. ^ Triyanto, Gatot; Nurbaiti, Siti (20 March 1993). "Plus-Minus Hasilnya Adhyatma" [Adhyatma's Positive and Negative Results]. Tempo. Retrieved 23 January 2023.