Collaboration Necessary in COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts

AFP/BAY ISMOYO

An employee works on the production line of COVID-19 coronavirus vaccines at the Bio Farma Pharmacy, which will produce the vaccine early next year with a production capacity of 250 million vaccines a year, in Bandung, West Java on August 12, 2020. - Indonesia on August 11 launched human trials of a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine with some 1,600 volunteers slated to take part in the six-month study.

Global cooperation in the health sector must be strengthened to ensure that every country has equal access to safe, effective and qualified COVID-19 drugs and vaccines.

The availability and affordability of drugs and vaccines is an important aspect in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Cooperation between countries, therefore, must be strengthened, including among Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) members.

Also read: Vaccine Supply Follows WHO Standards

Indonesian Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) head Penny Kusumastuti Lukito said the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was still unpredictable, which makes cooperation between countries highly necessary, including among OIC member countries.

“The world is currently competing to find a cure and vaccine for COVID-19. Our solidarity and collaboration, thus, are even more necessary than before, especially to seek a vaccine through multilateral cooperation, including among OIC country members,” Penny said in her remarks during a virtual workshop titled “Enhancing Collaboration in Research, Manufacturing, Management of Medicines and Vaccines in the OIC Member States” in Jakarta on Wednesday (9/12/2020).

Also read: Bio Farma Ready to Process Vaccine Raw Materials

The workshop is a follow-up to the Jakarta Declaration, which was agreed during the First Meeting of the Heads of National Medicine Regulatory Authorities of OIC Member States in November 2018.

The latest meeting is also aimed specifically at ensuring the sustainability of supply and access to essential drugs and vaccines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

That meeting was expected to strengthen coordination and collaboration among national drug regulatory agencies in OIC countries. The latest meeting is also aimed specifically at ensuring the sustainability of supply and access to essential drugs and vaccines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

AFP/AZWAR IIPANK

This handout photo taken and released on August 11, 2020 by Presidential palace shows President Joko Widodo (C) visiting the Bio Farma Pharmacy that produce vaccines for COVID-19 coronavirus in Bandung, West Java. - Indonesia on August 11, 2020 launched human trials of a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine with some 1,600 volunteers slated to take part in the six-month study.

According to Penny, OIC members, through the role of the respective drug regulatory agencies, as well as research institutions and vaccine manufacturers, must strengthen their collaboration, so that all countries have equal access to safe, effective and quality COVID-19 drugs and vaccines.

Drug regulatory agencies at forefront

OIC secretary-general for science and technology Askar Mussinov stated that national drug regulators of OIC countries were now at the forefront in authorizing the trials for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines. Askar noted, however, that the effort would not immediately end when COVID-19 drugs and vaccines were discovered, as issues related to production and distribution would await.

OIC countries have also strengthened their collaboration in devising regulations related to vaccine production and distribution, which are deemed necessary to ensure the continuity and equality of the process.

Also read: Vaccination Pending Scientific Study

“The COVID-19 pandemic provides an important lesson for us that countries around the world depend on one another, not only to curb the transmission of the disease, but also to ensure equal access to supporting facilities and infrastructure,” Askar said.

The Foreign Ministry’s multilateral affairs director general, Febrian Ruddyard, said collaboration between countries was very necessary to address the prevailing gap in the health sector, which includes gaps in human resources, industrial capacity, knowledge and access to important medicines.

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Meanwhile, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly the third goal, state that a healthy live and well-being for all at all ages was essential to sustainable development. “This collaboration is expected to encourage the realization of a healthy life and fair access to health services for all,” he said.

The national COVID-19 task force recorded 6,058 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 592,900. The same data show that 171 more people have died of the disease, bringing the death toll to 18,171. (TAN/AIK)