VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) virtually attended the Global COVID-19 Summit to discuss world leaders' commitment to expediting vaccination efforts worldwide, according to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

During a virtual press conference broadcasted from the Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel on Thursday morning, Minister Sadikin stated that President Jokowi had attended the Global COVID-19 Summit on Wednesday evening after accepting US President Joe Biden's personal invitation to attend the summit.

President Jokowi is among the only four world leaders to be personally invited by President Biden to attend the summit and provide suggestions on the COVID-19 pandemic handling strategy, according to Sadikin.

The minister noted that President Biden had laid emphasis on three key points for the COVID-19 handling strategy at the summit.

"The first point is to reiterate our commitment with world leaders to expedite vaccination rates worldwide," Sadikin revealed.

The minister noted that the World Health Organisation's current target was to achieve a 40-percent vaccination coverage for the global population in 2021 and 70-percent coverage in 2022.

The second point is the importance of quick decisions to save humanity from the disease, as currently, around 4.5 million people worldwide have succumbed to the virus, the minister noted.

"President Biden specifically emphasises the necessity to ensure the provision of oxygen, testing and tracing equipment, and medicines stocks in hospitals to treat patients infected by the virus," Minister Sadikin stated.

The minister explained that the third point pertained to ensuring global recovery from the pandemic and preparedness to face a future epidemic.

"We need to conceive a global health resilience architecture and plan a global healthcare financial system for a country needing financial assistance to address domestic health issues," the minister stated.

President Biden also highlighted the importance of a resilient healthcare system in developing and developed countries for a better future and ensuring preparedness to face a future epidemic, Sadikin affirmed. (Antaranews)