The US said today that it will offer Indonesia an additional $30 million in life-saving COVID-19 assistance to buy more oxygen, improve vaccination rollout, and provide medical supplies to treat COVID-19 patients and save lives.
These monies will also go toward building a strong cold chain for vaccine distribution, ensuring the readiness of vaccination sites, and disseminating health information to educate individuals and prevent vaccine hesitancy.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Department of State’s COVID-19 aid to Indonesia has totalled more than $65 million. Since January 2020, US COVID-19 support has reached 165 million people in Indonesia, accounting for 60% of the country’s population. Around 43,000 frontline healthcare workers have received assistance from USAID, and over 1,300 hospitals and clinics have been improved.
In July and August, the United States delivered 8 million safe and effective Moderna vaccine doses to Indonesia as part of President Biden’s vow to send at least 80 million doses of COVID vaccinations from domestic surplus to help save lives and stop the pandemic. With its financial support for COVAX, USAID also helped deliver over 11 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses earlier this year in collaboration with other COVAX donors and partners.
People wearing protective masks queue to refill oxygen tanks as Indonesia experiences an oxygen supply shortage amid a surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, at a filling station in Jakarta, Indonesia.
By increasing the Indonesian government’s vaccination planning, coordination, and distribution, as well as expanding access to safe and effective vaccines and vaccination facilities, USAID supports Indonesia’s vaccine readiness and vaccine service delivery.
This study helps Indonesia track, report, and analyze its immunization program by improving medication safety monitoring, as well as increasing the number of vaccination teams and sites through health worker and facility training. Over the last two decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested over $1 billion in Indonesia’s health sector, laying a solid foundation for a more effective COVID-19 response.
