Foreign Minister Retno Calls The Approach To Face Mpox Almost The Same As COVID-19, Needs Cross-border Cooperation

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs (Menlu) Retno Marsudi gave a press statement at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Wednesday (4/9/2024) ANTARA/HO-Mentari Dwi Gayati

JAKARTA - Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs (Menlu) Retno Marsudi said that handling monkeypox or monkeypox (Mpox) which is designated as a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) requires cooperation between various countries because it is cross-border. He said the approach used in handling Mpox was almost the same as in handling COVID-19. "This MPOX is not only a case experienced by one country, more than one country, a transcendary, so handling it also requires collaboration, good cooperation," said Retno during a working meeting (raker) with Commission I of the DPR RI at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Antara, Thursday, September 5. Since the beginning, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated with WHO, especially since Indonesia hosted the 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF) event in Bali on 1-3 September 2024. Regarding preparations for organizing the forum, he said he had received support from WHO for joint risk assessment. "Alhamdulillah, the implementation can run smoothly, we carry out all preventive measures and recommendations from WHO, so that until then I have not heard of any MPOX cases that occurred after the 2nd implementation of the Indonesia Africa Forum," he said. He then said a number of cooperation steps that were established by Indonesia and other countries in dealing with Mpox, mainly related to the distribution of the Mpox vaccine. "Just last week, if I'm not mistaken, Indonesia has received 1,600 doses of vaccine produced by Bavarian Nordic from Denmark," he said. He then said, "We are also currently exploring the possibility of collaborating with Japan, which is a producer of the LC16 vaccine by proposing several vaccine purchases." As for African countries, said Retno, Indonesia plans to share Mpox vaccine doses.

"With Africa, yesterday they also asked for some assistance for the delivery of diagnostic equipment and therapeutic drugs," he said.