VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Collaboration between G20 members is very important to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and bolster pandemic surveillance, head of the National Research and Innovation Agency's (BRIN's) Health Research Organization, Ni Luh P. Indi Dharmayanti, has said.

Sharing of research and development results among all institutions and countries will help ensure complete and connected global data, she told ANTARA here on Monday.

G20 is an international forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union that work together to handle major issues. Indonesia is holding the presidency of the grouping this year.

Access to integrated and comprehensive global data from research and development activities would support the realization of a stronger, more collaborative, and effective pandemic surveillance system in the future, she said.

Developed and developing countries, specifically fellow G20 members, could collaborate to maximize their existing capacity and resources to reach their collective goals and realize prosperity for the international community.

According to Dharmayanti, developed countries generally have strong infrastructure and human resources; however, the number of disease cases needed for research is limited.

Conversely, developing countries have many cases, but face limitations in terms of infrastructure and human resources.

To this end, collaboration could help countries support and strengthen one another, including in research and development for pandemic surveillance.

So far, such collaboration has been coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), but it still needs to be bolstered.

Earlier, Indonesia G2O Co-Sherpa Dian Triansyah Djani said that Indonesia, through its role as this year's G20 president, is seeking to ensure exit strategies from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"While it is difficult, our finance and sherpa tracks are currently working on strategies to get out of this pandemic," he said during the “Diversity and Inclusion in the G20—Opportunities for Policy Reform” event.

These strategies will encompass fair vaccine distribution and access, funding strategy, prevention initiative, preparedness, and future pandemic response, he informed during a panel discussion held in a hybrid format on June 18, 2022.  (Antaranews)