ASEAN Focuses On Forming Pandemic Funds

JAKARTA - Indonesia is pushing for the formation of pandemic funds or pandemic funds in the ASEAN region as a response to disease prevention and control in the future.

"Pandemic funds are one of the discussions at the ASEAN Summit to be used in prevention, preparedness, and response to the next pandemic," said Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, May 9.

The Minister of Health said the health sector of the ASEAN Summit was concentrating on fulfilling pandemic funds through the preparation of proposals to be submitted.

According to Budi, the ASEAN area must have the capacity to finance to prevent and deal with the pandemic. Indonesia has succeeded in facing the toughest disruption in the last century, namely the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The world has proven not to be ready to face the pandemic because it does not have a reliable health architecture to manage the pandemic," said the Minister of Health.

On that basis, all countries must ensure the resilience of the international community in the face of the upcoming pandemic.

Pandemic funding provides financing for the potential for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) to come.

According to Budi, cooperation between finance and health is very important to prepare prevention, preparedness, and response.

"Therefore, it is important for every country to have pandemic funds for the prevention, preparedness, and response of the pandemic in the future," he said.