Cool! Indonesian Foreign Minister Becomes Leader Of COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution For 92 Countries COVAX AMC

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / Dok VOI)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi was chosen to be one of the co-chairs for the COVAX AMC Engagement Group program initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI).

Apart from the Indonesian Foreign Minister, the Ethiopian Health Minister, Lia Tadesse and the Canadian Minister for International Development, Karina Gould were also selected to lead the COVID-19 vaccine procurement and distribution program for the 92 countries that are members of the COVAX AMC.

The election of Indonesia as one of the chairmen with the most votes, namely 41 percent of the total votes cast, according to Foreign Minister Retno, needs to be interpreted as a form of world trust, especially developing countries, in Indonesia.

"It is Indonesia's big responsibility to realize equal access to vaccines for all countries through multilateral channels. We try to fulfill this big responsibility as well as possible, ”said Retno to reporters as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, January 17.

COVAX AMC Engagement Group is a forum between AMC countries and donor countries for the procurement and distribution of vaccines for AMC countries.

Through this cooperation forum, 92 low and middle income countries that join the COVAX Facility, will gain access to a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine with assistance from donor countries.

The COVAX facility itself has a vaccine procurement target for 20 percent of the population of each AMC country, and supports the readiness of AMC countries to undertake a national vaccination plan.

"Of course, the procurement will be carried out in stages because there are still limited vaccines available to all countries," said Retno.

Although acknowledging that the target for vaccine procurement by COVAX is not easy to implement due to limited resources and the readiness of all countries to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Foreign Minister Retno believes that close cooperation by all countries can help achieve this target.

In order to follow up on his new role in leading the COVAX AMC Engagement Group, the Indonesian Foreign Minister through PTRI Geneva will immediately carry out intensive communication with GAVI, which is headquartered in Switzerland.

"Meanwhile, I will also contact two other chairs to start communicating," said Retno.