US$52.3 Million US Dollars For COVID-19 Handling Assistance Arrives In Indonesia

Assistance with therapeutic drugs and medical devices from the United States. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - Indonesia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has again received assistance in handling COVID-19 from the United States (US). This time, the assistance was in the form of therapeutic drugs and medical devices.

Arriving this Friday, the aid worth a total of 52.3 million US dollars or around Rp. 750 billion is a follow-up to Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi's visit to the United States in early August.

US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly provided support in the form of therapeutic drugs worth more than 51.6 million US dollars. Meanwhile, Direct Relief, a non-profit organization in the humanitarian field, in addition to supporting the process of shipping Eli Lilly's medicines from the US to Indonesia, also provided support for a number of other medicines and medical devices worth more than 719 thousand US dollars.

"This support package was sent from Los Angeles airport on August 11, 2021, released by the Indonesian Consul General in Los Angeles," explained the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement, Friday, August 13.

Arriving at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, this support package was handed over to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, namely the Head of the Health Crisis Center and the Director of Administration of Public Drugs and Health Supplies, witnessed by Plt. Director of America I, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The total support from the US Government to Indonesia since the beginning of the pandemic to date has reached US$65 million and as many as 8 million doses of Moderna vaccine have been distributed through the Covax Facility.

"If combined, the total value of US government and private support for Indonesia since the beginning of the pandemic has reached US$ 117.3 million, or equivalent to Rp. 1.68 trillion and 8 million Moderna vaccines. This support reflects the strong friendship and solidarity of the American people to the people. Indonesia is in handling the COVID-19 pandemic," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that through health diplomacy, cooperation is not only carried out in the procurement of vaccines, medicines and medical devices, but also other potential collaborations, including joint production of various needs in handling pandemics.

"The Indonesian Foreign Minister has expressed his appreciation for the support of various parties, including Senior Vice President Eli Lilly during his meeting in Washington, DC last week," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.