Corona was not the last pandemic – experts from all over the world agree on that. In order to better prevent future mass diseases, a permanent fund is now being established.
Yogyakarta – The G20 countries have agreed to establish a fund to better prepare for future pandemics.
The World Bank-led Financial Intervention Fund (FIF) is expected to become active later this month after a World Bank board meeting, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Tuesday night (local time) at the end of the G20 finance and health ministers’ meeting in Yogyakarta . Indonesia chairs the G20 this year.
Some countries, including Germany, Indonesia and Singapore, as well as the US and the European Union, have already pledged a total of $1.1 billion (1 billion euros) to the FIF. “I’m sure this is just the beginning,” said the minister. Because the pandemic is not over yet: In many countries, including Indonesia, the number of infections is rising again.
“Additionally, recent outbreaks of other diseases around the world underscore the importance and urgency of our work to be better prepared for future pandemics,” Indrawati said. As more and more pandemics can be expected in the future, the whole world is watching the G20 countries and concrete measures to prevent the pandemic.
Only part of the solution
Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said money is only part of the solution to global health crises. “We need to turn that money into quick and fair access to emergency medical care such as vaccines, therapies and diagnostics.”
The discussion began on Monday with a meeting of G20 health ministers, which was also attended by the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He urgently warned not to give up in the fight against the corona virus. His authority is very concerned about the global easing of measures that “the lack of corona tests and sequencing is blinding us to the development of the virus”.
G20 health ministers will meet for further talks in Bali at the end of October – just before the start of the G20 summit of heads of state and government, which will take place on November 15 and 16 on the popular holiday island.
.