JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Indonesian government, through its Agency for International Development, announced Friday the donation of 10 million doses of the bOPV polio vaccine to Afghanistan.
According to a statement from Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry, the vaccine shipment was facilitated by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Thursday.
Marsudi highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, where the UN World Food Programme estimates 23.7 million people need humanitarian aid and the country’s health system struggles to combat infectious diseases, including polio.
Marsudi emphasized Indonesia’s position as a leader in polio vaccination, responding to a request from Afghanistan for support. She asserted that the vaccine donation underscores Indonesia’s commitment to assisting the Afghan population.
The ministers also expressed their gratitude towards all partners involved in the initiative, particularly UNICEF, which will oversee the vaccine’s delivery and distribution. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani elaborated on the donation’s significance, noting it would support Afghanistan’s vaccination efforts targeting 3.3 million children under three years old.
Sri Mulyani also reflected on the Indonesian Agency for International Development’s broader role, highlighting its contributions of over 356.58 billion Indonesian rupiah in development cooperation grants to various countries, emphasizing solidarity among developing nations and commitment to global objectives, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
