G20 2022, Indonesia Proposes A Clear Mechanism For Access To Finance And Health Facilities If The Pandemic Repeats

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin (center) during the G20 Tuberculosis Side Event in DIY, Tuesday (29/3/2022). (ANTARA/Zubi Mahrofi)

JAKARTA - Secretary of the Directorate of Public Health of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi said there were three priority issues in the health sector that were initiated by Indonesia in the 2022 G20 Presidency.

"In the Indonesian presidency, there are three main topics in the health sector," she said.

The three priority issues are building the resilience of the global health system, harmonizing global health protocol standards, and expanding global manufacturing and knowledge centers for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

Furthermore, he said, the issue of the resilience of the global health system is an important issue to discuss amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. One of the discussions in this issue is related to the mechanism for mobilizing financial and health resources in overcoming various world health crises.

Difficulty

Nadia said that in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries had difficulties in obtaining health resources to deal with the pandemic in their country.

"We remember, at the beginning how to find PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), the price of the reagents was still expensive, then there were also difficulties with ventilators, oxygen," she said, as reported by Antara.

She explained that in the health sector there is no mechanism to mobilize resources in handling health crises.

"It's easier like this, if for example we have an economic crisis, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) is ready to help countries, now in the health sector there is no such source of financial financing," she said.

Therefore, the G20 Presidency of Indonesia proposes that there should be a clear mechanism for various countries in the world to access financial resources and health infrastructure if, for example, a pandemic occurs in the future.

"Previously there were none, there was no institution or mechanism, so that is what will be achieved in the Indonesian Presidency," she said.

She also hopes that with this mechanism, no country will experience difficulties in accessing these resources.

She also hopes that the 2022 G20 will result in a joint commitment in building a mechanism for mobilizing financial resources and health infrastructure.

Transmitted

In an effort to build commitment from the G20 countries, his party said that Indonesia has a strong culture of mutual cooperation so that this spirit is expected to be transmitted to other countries to help each other in the health sector.

"Indonesia has a strong joint in the form of mutual cooperation. This will be transmitted. With the same spirit, mutual cooperation does not look at whether the country is capable or not, but all contribute to helping each other," she said.

Nadia added that the Indonesian Presidency aims for this spirit to make the world rise together and be stronger after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

"Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indonesian Presidency is aiming for the post-COVID-19 pandemic, the global will rise together and be stronger, that's the message," she added.

In line with Nadia, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin hopes that the health sector can strengthen good relations between countries in the midst of increasing issues related to geopolitics.

"Indeed, geopolitical issues are currently on the rise. Health is universal, so in fact the health sector should really be united and work together," he said at a press conference at the G20 Health Working Group (HWG) meeting entitled "Harmonizing Global Health Protocol Standards." in Yogyakarta.

Minister of Health Budi said that each country has a different economy so that it will greatly influence various international policies.

"However, if there are problems regarding health, humanity, then our approach must be more universal, not sectoral, such as ideology, politics, and others," he said when responding to press questions related to tensions in Ukraine.

HWG meetings will be held three times during Indonesia's G20 Presidency to discuss one priority issue each.

The first HWG meeting was held in Yogyakarta on 28 to 30 March 2022 which discussed the harmonization of global health protocol standards.

Indonesia's G20 presidency is expected to be able to raise the spirit of cooperation between countries in various fields, especially in the health sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that each country has different capabilities in dealing with this pandemic.

Even though the handling of the infectious disease pandemic cannot be done by some countries alone. Countries that have weak health systems are vulnerable to becoming the center of the spread of disease which in turn prolongs the pandemic period.

Through the G20 Presidency, it is hoped that all countries will work together to share financial and health resources, in order to prevent and overcome a similar pandemic in the future in accordance with the theme of the Indonesian G20 Presidency, namely Recover Together, Recover Stronger, which means recovering together and being stronger.