(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Sunday at the launch of
a Group of 20 (G20) pandemic fund that the amount of money raised
so far to improve preparedness for future pandemics was not yet
sufficient, reports citing .
The fund launched by G20 chair Indonesia is targeted at low-to
middle-income countries to finance efforts like surveillance,
research, and better access to vaccines, among others measures.
“I expect bigger support,” the president said in a video address
to an event in Bali where the G20 holds a summit this week.
The fund has raised about $1.4 billion so far, including
contributions from Indonesia, the United States and the European
Union, as well as from donors and philanthropic organizations like
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
It was created amid anger among many developing countries over
their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, when richer
countries often hoarded the bulk of resources such as vaccines to
fight the virus.
The World Bank, which will serve as the fund's trustee, and the
World Health Organization (WHO), which is advising on the facility,
estimated in a report that the annual funding gap for pandemic
preparedness is $10.5 billion.
Indonesia's Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the fund
is expected to increase in size with contributions from France and
Saudi Arabia. She did not specify by how much.
She called for proposals from countries looking to access the
fund.
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