Indonesia provides 10 million doses of polio vaccine for Afghanistan

Illustrative image (Photo: https://en.wenews.pk/)

Jakarta (VNA) - The Indonesian Agency for International Development (Indonesian AID) has donated 10 million bOPV (bivalent oral polio vaccine) doses produced domestically to Afghanistan.

Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on March 8 that the provision of the polio vaccine produced by the state-owned pharmaceutical holding PT Bio Farma, is part of the country's commitment to Afghan people.

According to the official, the vaccine assistance is a form of concrete support for Afghanistan's vaccination programme, which will cover 3.3 million children aged under three.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are the last two countries in the world where polio is still endemic, she said, adding that as a nation proactively engaged in peacekeeping and humanitarian diplomacy, Indonesia is committed to supporting Afgha people through vaccine assistance to address this issue.

The sponsorship is also expected to serve as a tool to promote high-quality vaccines and pharmaceuticals produced by Indonesia to the global market, especially to meet the demand of the UN’s agencies in implementing health quality improvement programmes or responding to epidemics in important countries or regions.

Established in October 2019, Indonesian AID has provided 356.58 billion ỈDR (equivalent to 22.91 million USD) to 58 countries and territories worldwide, including Palestine, Myanmar, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji./.