Foreign Minister: Indonesia Supports COVID-19 Vaccine Patent Waiver

By : Nata Kesuma | Monday, May 10 2021 - 19:45 IWST

Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi delivering press statement on the arrival of 1.39 million doses of ready-to-use AstraZeneca vaccine at Soekarno Hatta Airport

INDUSTRY.co.id - The Indonesian Government continues to support COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver as a form of the Government’s commitment to support equal access to vaccines for all countries, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno L. P. Marsudi.

“Since the pandemic first happened, Indonesia has consistently spoken for equal access to vaccines for all,” she said in a press statement during the arrival of 1.39 million doses of ready-to-use AstraZeneca vaccine at Soekarno Hatta Airport in Tangerang city in Banten province, Saturday (08/05).

According to Retno, Indonesia also backs the waive on COVID-19 vaccine patent for an increase in global vaccine production.

“Indonesia also supports COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver to boost global COVID-19 vaccine production capacity. This is a form of a global collaboration to open an equal access to vaccines for all,” she stated.

Retno further said that Indonesia understands that it is not easy to commit to equal access to vaccines for all countries; thus, she expressed appreciation for the multilateral cooperation that has been carried out to realize the equality.

“COVAX Facility, supported by Gavi, WHO, CEPI, and partnered with UNICEF, has continued to work hard to fulfill equal vaccine needs for all countries. We appreciate the effort,” she remarked, adding that COVAX AMCE Engagement Group on 17 May is set to hold another meeting to discuss the most recent situation to provide equal access to vaccine for all countries.

“Along with the Ethiopian Minister of Health and Canadian Minister of International Development, I will lead the COVAX AMC Engagement Group meeting,” she said.

For the record, COVAX AMC Engagement Group is a multilateral vaccine cooperation program co-led by Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, Ethiopian Minister of Health Lia Tadesse who represents AMC countries, and Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould who represents donor countries.

COVAX AMC Engagement Group is a forum of 92 AMC countries and donor countries to procure and distribute vaccines for AMC countries.

COVAX Facility has set a target to procure vaccines for 20 percent of each AMC country’s population.