Jakarta. Indonesia AID, the government's foreign aid fund, has dispatched 10 million doses of domestically manufactured polio vaccine to Afghanistan.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati announced that the government, in partnership with the state-owned pharmaceutical company Bio Farma Indonesia, is working to deliver the vaccines, which will be shipped through UNICEF.

"This collaboration, made possible by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and particularly by all Indonesia Aid partners working with UNICEF, is delivering these 10 million doses to reach 3.3 million children under the age of 3 across Afghanistan," Sri Mulyani said on Friday.

The symbolic handover of the Bio Farma-produced vaccine aid occurred at the Soekarno Hatta Customs and Excise Office in Tangerang on Thursday, with Ministers Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Retno Marsudi leading the event.

Afghanistan, alongside Pakistan, remains one of the last two countries worldwide still endemic for polio. Limited access to vaccine supplies and inadequate healthcare facilities pose a significant threat to the well-being of children and toddlers in the country.

As a nation actively involved in peace and humanitarian diplomacy, Indonesia is committed to supporting the Afghan people through vaccine assistance to address this situation.

"We hope Indonesia's contribution is part of articulating and implementing the spirit of our constitution, and in continuing to build Indonesia's spirit as a responsible global citizen to jointly realize the ideals of social welfare and social justice, not only for the entire Indonesian population but also for the whole world," expressed Sri Mulyani.

This grant is also anticipated to serve as a promotional tool for high-quality Indonesian-made vaccines and pharmaceutical products in the global market, especially to meet the needs of UN bodies conducting health quality improvement programs or epidemic responses in specific crucial countries or regions.

Since its establishment in October 2019, Indonesia AID has granted development cooperation funds totaling Rp 356.58 billion ($22.91 million) to 58 friendly nations, including Palestine, Myanmar, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji. Development cooperation grants are distributed across various sectors such as education, health, agriculture, and humanitarian aid. Actively engaging in international collaboration, Indonesia AID has successfully partnered with international institutions such as the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, ICRC, UNRWA, OACPS, ASEAN, and MSG.

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