VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

An additional 3 million doses of foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccine doses supplied by the Australian Government have arrived in Indonesia.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and said the delivery of 3 million doses of FMD vaccine donated to Indonesia is part of a $10 million biosecurity program funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to support Indonesia’s response to FMD.

“Australia is committed to supporting the biosecurity of our region,” Minister Wong said in a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Tuesday. 

“These vaccines are in addition to the 1 million FMD vaccines provided to Indonesia, in August 2022. These are currently being rolled out and administered to cattle in Bali, and Sulawesi," he added.

“A total of 4 million FMD vaccines have now been delivered, demonstrating Australia’s commitment to supporting Indonesia’s response to the FMD outbreak and further highlighting the close partnership between our two countries," he said.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry Murray Watt said the biosecurity program provides a range of support including technical assistance for Indonesia’s vaccination efforts, training for vaccinators, support for national control planning, and assistance with surveillance systems.

“We are deeply committed to supporting our neighbors to manage FMD, as it is in all our interests to ensure this outbreak is managed and eventually defeated.

“This delivery continues our comprehensive approach to keep Australia FMDfree by helping our neighbors respond to the outbreak, strengthening our biosecurity border measures, and enhancing our preparedness at home," he said. (VOI)