COVID-19: Indonesia demands 'equal access' to medicine for developing countries
05 May, 2020
Indonesian President Joko Widodo called on Monday (May 4) for "equal access" for developing countries to medicine to take care of the new coronavirus, as global cases pass three million.
"We must fight for and timely usage of affordable COVID-19 medicine and vaccine," Widodo said in a statement.
"Debt relief and debt repayment obligations from official creditors (for developing countries) you need to rediverted into financing the handling of COVID-19."
The Indonesian president attended a virtual summit on COVID-19 held by 39 heads of states that are portion of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a Cold War-era bloc that was established in 1961 and declared itself non-partisan to any major powers.
Indonesia Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in a video conference on Tuesday at nighttime that the NAM countries would form an activity force to compile crucial "medical and humanitarian" needs for member states, that could then be conveyed to donor countries and organisations.
The COVID-19 illness, due to the brand new coronavirus, has killed 864 people and infected 11,587 in Indonesia.
World leaders promised US$8 billion on Monday for the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, according to an announcement by European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen.
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