Jokowi Launches Pandemic Fund at G20 Bali Summit; This is the Goal

Indonesian President Joko Widodo officially launched the pandemic fund, an initiative agreed upon by G20 member countries, for the prevention, preparedness, and response to future pandemic threats on Sunday, November 13, 2022.

This pandemic fund will be managed by an institution under the World Bank Group. Jokowi stated that in the short term, firstly, the world needs to have the financing capacity to prevent and address pandemics. Secondly, it needs to build a synergistic and cross-national health ecosystem.

Citing studies by the World Bank and WHO, Jokowi mentioned that the world needs US$31.1 billion (Rp481 trillion) for this initiative. World Bank Executive Director Wempi Saptura, in a separate occasion, stated that this figure comprises US$26.4 billion for the national level and US$4.7 billion for the international level.

The Indonesian government plans to submit a funding request proposal for pandemic response, or the pandemic fund, managed by the institution under the World Bank Group. If approved, the grant will be used for two priority health objectives: strengthening surveillance and developing biotechnology to anticipate the possibility of new pandemics in the future.

World Bank member countries are allowed to submit proposals for the utilization of these funds, including Indonesia. Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said his ministry will soon submit a proposal for fund utilization.

"Indonesia will prioritize matters that are priorities on our agenda regarding future pandemic handling," Budi said in a press conference after the G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministers' Meeting (JFHMM) in Bali on Saturday, November 13, as reported by Katadata.co.id.

Indonesia's proposed proposal will include two objectives for fund usage. First, strengthening surveillance by building public health laboratories throughout all provinces. This will help expedite the identification process of new pathogens or viruses. Second, biotechnology development. If approved, the government wants to use the funds to invest in the development of biotechnology-based treatments, such as mRNA vaccines for Covid-19.