VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

2022 G20 Joint Finance and Health Task Force meeting in Jakarta on January 26, 2022. (ANTARA/HO-Finance Ministry/uyu) -

The finance and health ministries of G20 members strengthened cross-sectoral collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank during the G20 Joint Finance and Health Task Force (JFHTF) meeting.

The meeting was held virtually on January 26, 2022, with Indonesia and Italy as co-chairs of the meeting.

"Indonesia and Italy are committed to ensuring that the JFHTF programs are a success," JFHTF Co-chair from Indonesia Wempi Saputra remarked in an official statement here on Thursday.

Saputra opened the meeting by highlighting the progress achieved in various JFHTF programs discussed by G20 members, including improving coordination between finance and health sector players as well as establishing the JFHTH secretariat and global health financing facilities.

At the meeting, the intergovernmental forum members also pushed for strengthening the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator partnership that encompassed global disbursement of COVID-19 vaccines, test kits, medications, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

The G20 expects the global vaccination target to reach 70 percent by mid-2022. 

Hence, the forum encourages collaboration between government and non-governmental institutions at the global and regional levels in overcoming international financial and trade barriers as well as in ensuring the availability of assistance for vulnerable people.

"The G20 members highlighted the important role of a secretariat in supporting health and financial coordination to prevent, prepare, and respond (PPR) to the COVID-19 pandemic and other health crisis," the JFHTF co-chair continued.

Furthermore, regarding the establishment of financing facilities, the members assessed the importance of mobilizing global financing to support the PPR attempts in accordance with the international health regulations.

Moreover, the JFHTF meeting took into account the results of strategic studies and assessments on various cooperation options between the health and finance sector players.

The results of the meeting will be submitted at the Meeting of Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) on February 17-18, 2022, in Jakarta.

Meanwhile, Expert Staff of the Indonesian Health Minister for Governance Issues Ronaldus Mujur -- who also acts as co-chair of the JFHTF -- expects that the task force’s work would turn out to be concrete outputs of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency.

"The meeting shows that the G20 members cooperate closely to strive in giving a fruitful legacy for the global community," he remarked//ANT