The minister made the statement in connection with the agreement reached with Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa-CDC) Jean Kaseya, which covers the grant of five thousand doses of the monkeypox vaccine for Africa that Indonesia will buy from Japan.
"We still have 1,600 doses bought from Denmark. Therefore, our vaccine stocks still suffice. This plan is a good diplomatic move that will help our colleagues in Africa. If we ever need more (doses), we will simply procure more," he remarked in Bali on Tuesday.
Speaking at a panel discussion session of the 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum in Nusa Dua, Badung District, Sadikin noted that Indonesia had yet to be capable of formulating its own monkeypox vaccine, adding that such a vaccine has been produced only by Japan and Denmark so far.
Learning from experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister pointed out that developing countries would tend to be at the back of the line while queuing up for vaccines.
"However, we have promised our partners in Africa-CDC to obtain 10 thousand doses of vaccine, half of which will be sent to our African brothers and sisters, while the rest will be stored for Indonesian citizens," he revealed.
The minister stated that Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi is currently in the process of negotiating the procurement of the targeted doses of vaccine.
Sadikin stated that Indonesia would also donate 30 rapid molecular test equipment and antiviral medicines for 200 people in Africa.
"It is true that we will give Africa five thousand vaccine doses, but what I would like to highlight is the fact that Indonesia now wields the capacity to employ its domestic resources for (disease) surveillance purposes," he remarked.
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Translator: Kuntum Khaira, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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