Jakarta (ANTARA) - Real collective action to handle tuberculosis (TB), a global health problem, should be taken through collaboration between the G20 and G7 forums, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, has said.
"The two internationally acknowledged forums, the G7 and G20, could collaborate to provide a stronger response to the health crisis," he noted during the Global TB Caucus Discussion, held virtually on Friday.
"Within this context, Indonesia, as the president of the G20, and Germany, as the leader of G7, should intensify coordination in order to align the priority of these forums," he said.
According to data provided on the World Health Organization's (WHO) website, 10 million people suffer from tuberculosis each year, the minister noted.
Most of the people who contract tuberculosis reside in low- and middle-income countries, but the disease is prevalent across the world, he said.
Though it is preventable and curable, every year, around 1.5 million people die of tuberculosis, Hartarto added.
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The fact that TB affects citizens in various countries necessitates collective effort, he said.
Indonesia aims to promote collective action to handle this global health problem and contribute to a stronger global health architecture, Hartarto affirmed.
"Indonesia also expects global citizens to be ready with financial resources that could be mobilized to ensure adequate and sustainable financing for global health problems, specifically for prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR),” he added.
To this end, it is important that the G20 becomes more involved in the Task Force on Finance & Health (TFHF), which aims to bolster global dialogue and cooperation concerning issues related to PPR, the minister said.
It also needs to encourage information exchange on best practices, develop coordination between finance and health ministries, assess and handle health emergency situations with cross-border impact, and push for effective resource management for PPR, he added.
"In synergizing G20 and G7 priorities, Indonesia has deemed that it is important for the two presidencies to build an orderly communication channel," the minister said.
"Hence, I highly encourage our embassy in Berlin and the German embassy in Jakarta to improve collaboration," he stressed.
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