TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Australian government has officially donated US$50 million or about Rp773.6 billion to the Pandemic Fund, which was successfully agreed upon by the G20 ministers of finance and health under Indonesia's leadership this year.

The global financial intermediary funds will be used to improve prevention, preparedness, and responses to a potential pandemic in the future. This was done after the world had learned how to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic for almost three years.

Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, greatly welcomed Indonesia's G20 presidency in establishing the Pandemic Fund. "And hopefully it will create a concrete plan to deal with the pandemic in the future," He said in a written press statement, Sunday, November 13, 2022.

He explained that the global finance initiative would be part of a clear consensus that the world needs to be prepared to face any occurrence in the future.

Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that Indonesia played an important leadership role in delivering the Pandemic Fund initiative to strengthen global health governance.

Therefore, Australia, said Wong, will continue to promote a global response to pandemic alertness and response effort. "And to ensure a strong focus on the need in our region," she said.

Pandemic Fund has also been organized by the World Bank and utilizes the technical expertise of the World Health Organization (WHO). The initiative is expected to address the gaps between pandemic financing and respond to recommendations from high-level independent inspection including an independent panel for pandemic preparedness and response commissioned by WHO.

Australia is one of the founding donor countries for the Pandemic Fund, which currently has contributed more than US$1.4 billion or Rp21.7 trillion.

ANTARA | IMAJI LASAHIDO (INTERN)

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