RI envoy underscores three priorities for ASEAN vaccine ecosystem

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Special Envoy of the President for International Trade and Multilateral Cooperation Mari Elka Pangestu highlighted three key areas for collaboration within ASEAN to strengthen the regional vaccine ecosystem, including demand, regulation, and capacity building.

Pangestu said here on Wednesday that the regional collaboration is crucial to better prepare for future pandemics. She noted that ASEAN's population of around 650 million people presents significant potential to create a sustainable demand for vaccines.

"In terms of demand which can be created, manufacturing vaccine is crucial. The chain for vaccine manufacturing can be in each country, but the important thing is to build strong supply chain in the region, accessible by the region," she elaborated.

She also underscored the need for closer cooperation among regulatory authorities to ensure that medicines and vaccines produced within the region can be distributed more easily across ASEAN member states.

To achieve it, Southeast Asian countries to establish requires mutual recognition agreement, she noted.

The envoy also called for stronger collaboration to improve capacity in production, human resources, and research.

The government hosted “Building Regional and Global Health Resilience in ASEAN: Vaccine Manufacturing and Pandemic Preparedness and Response (PPR)" forum to strengthen collaboration and health system in the region.

In the event, policymakers, industry, scholars, regional and international organizations, as well as partners participate to discuss some topics, ranging from vaccine manufacturing development, pandemic response, supply chain, and sustainable funding.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that Indonesia, with a population of around 286 million people, needs a strong health ecosystem to ensure resilience in case of another pandemic, particularly if lockdowns disrupt global supply chains.

"Such technology should not be monopolized, particularly in the health sector. It should be shared instead," Sadikin stressed, highlighting the need to develop a similarly robust health ecosystem among neighboring countries with large populations.

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Reporter: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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