Indonesia Sends 10 Million Doses Of Polio Vaccine To Afghanistan

PHOTO: Indonesian/Abi Foreign Ministry

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government through the International Development Cooperation Fund Institute (LDKPI) sent assistance for 10 million doses of the polio BOPV vaccine to Afghanistan.

The release of aid was carried out by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati at Soekarno Hatta Airport, Tangerang, Banten, Thursday, March 7. Foreign Minister Retno in a written statement said that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has not improved.

He cited data from the World Food Program which estimates that 23.7 million Afghans need humanitarian assistance.

The inadequate health system condition has caused people to be vulnerable to being exposed to infectious diseases. Afghanistan is also one of a number of countries in the world categorized as polio's endemic country.

"In the midst of this situation, of course we must help. And this is also based on a request from the Afghan side to be able to donate polio vaccines, because if we talk about polio vaccines, I think we are among the most advanced. We have produced and exported to many countries," said Retno.

He said the polio vaccine grant produced by PT Bio Farma was part of Indonesia's commitment to the Afghan people.

Once again, the interests of the people are always a priority for us. "And God willing, the benefits are many and can be felt directly by the Afghan people who need it," he said.

At the end of the speech, Foreign Minister Retno expressed her gratitude to all parties who have worked together in providing this assistance, including UNICEF, which will facilitate the delivery and distribution of the vaccine.

Once again, Indonesia shows that we are ready to contribute to humanitarian issues. Indonesia continues to be committed to supporting the Afghan people," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani said the assistance of 10 million doses of polio vaccine was a concrete support for Afghanistan's vaccination program which would reach 3.3 million children under three years of age. Vaccine transportation and distribution will be carried out by UNICEF in coordination with Afghan authorities.

Sri Mulyani explained that LDKPI or Indonesian AID was established in the spirit of solidarity with fellow developing countries and commitment to global targets, such as the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs).

"During the four years of operation, this institution has provided development cooperation grants worth IDR 356.58 billion to 49 friendly countries, including Palestine, Ukraine, Myanmar, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and Fiji," said Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani.