Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Government contributed US$15.5 million to fund global efforts to combat tuberculosis (TB), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS, and malaria in 2023-2025 through the Global Fund health partnership.
"Today, the Indonesian Government is stepping forward for the first time not only as a recipient country but also as a donor country through public and private partnerships," Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin noted in a press release received here on Saturday.
Out of the total US$15.5-million contribution from Indonesia, US$10 million is sourced from the State Budget (APBN).
Meanwhile, the rest was contributed by the pharmaceutical industry and foundations in Indonesia, such as Sinarmas, US$2 million; Kalbe, US$1.5 million; Paloma Foundation, US$1 million; and Tanoto Foundation, US$1 million.
Minister Sadikin said the contribution was a concrete step for Indonesia to prepare the agenda for the 2023 UN High Level Meeting on TB.
During a visit to New York, the United States, to meet the invitation to the Global Fund Seventh Replenishment Conference, on Thursday (Sept 22), the minister said that the Indonesian investment is a form of implementation of health transformation, especially in the third and sixth pillars.
In the pillars of transformation of the health resilience system, the funding will be used for the development of new TB drugs in the first line as well as for the treatment of drug resistant TB patients as well as for TB vaccines.
This activity also supports the transformation of the sixth pillar of health transformation, namely Health Technology Transformation, specifically in building the capacity of genome sequencing laboratories for more accurate identification of viruses and bacteria, including diagnostic tools to detect TB.
The Global Fund raises and invests funds in a three-year cycle known as Replenishment.
The three-year approach was adopted in 2005 to allow for more stable and predictable financing for countries and to ensure continued viability.
A total of 48 countries and over 25 private sectors contributed to the replenishment of the Global Fund for the next three years, with a total contribution of US$14.25 billion.
Indonesia has contributed to the Replenishment since 2014 through philanthropy in the country.
The Global Fund is a health development partner in Indonesia, especially in pursuing the target of eliminating HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria.
Since 2003 until now, funds, amounting to US$1.45 billion, were provided to the Health Ministry and the community, especially for programs to combat HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.
The Global Fund grant also supports the Government of Indonesia in dealing with COVID-19 through strengthening detection of genome sequencing during the 2021-2023 period.
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