Australia Sends Oxygen And 2.5 Million Doses Of AstraZeneca Vaccine To Indonesia

Illustration of COVID-19 oxygen pasein. (Source: UNICEF/UNI41215/RAE)

JAKARTA - Australia will send 2.5 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to Indonesia as well as testing kits and ventilators as part of a $12 million (US) package for oxygen-related equipment announced on Wednesday evening, July 7 local time.

The aid came at a time when Indonesia was facing a wave of infections with the Delta variant of COVID-19, causing a sharp rise in infection cases, inadequate hospital capacity and a shortage of oxygen supply.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she spoke with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Wednesday and confirmed the aid package to be provided.

This includes delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine by the end of the year as well as more than 40,000 rapid antigen test kits, 1000 ventilators, up to 700 oxygen concentrators and more than 170 oxygen cylinders.

"Australia's support will expand rapid test capacity, maintain existing health services and assist emergency medical facilities as Indonesia responds to an increasing number of cases," Foreign Minister Payne said in a statement citing the Sydney Morning Herald Wednesday, July 7.

"Following Prime Minister (Scott) Morrison's announcement at the G7 Summit to provide at least 20 million COVID-19 vaccines for the Indo-Pacific region by mid-2022, 2.5 million of these vaccine doses will be distributed to Indonesia to support its national vaccine launch," continued Payne.

Previously, Australia had also donated US$77 million to procure vaccines through the COVAX facility. Last year Australia also provided a US$1.5 billion loan to Indonesia to support the handling of COVID-19.

Separately, Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, confirmed the plan for assistance to be provided to Indonesia, as conveyed by Foreign Minister Payne.

"It is true that there has been communication between the two Foreign Ministers and during the conversation the Australian Foreign Minister conveyed Australia's readiness to donate vaccines to Indonesia," he explained when contacted by VOI.

"The plan to provide assistance has also been communicated to the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra," he continued.

To note, Indonesia has also ordered 10,000 oxygen concentrators from Singapore and told industrial oxygen gas companies to direct all production to the medical sector.

Australia has joined Japan, the United States and the Netherlands in delivering vaccines or has pledged to do so to help Indonesia overcome the COVID-19 wave outbreak.

In addition, Indonesia also announced an agreement with Moscow on vaccine production during the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday.