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Ministry unveils new funding initiative for climate-resilient health system
With support from UNDP and the WHO, the new initiative will be financed by the global Green Climate Fund in stages between 2025 and 2030 to help Indonesia develop its health system to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
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Medical workers conduct routine maintenance to medical appliances at the Padjadjaran University hospital in Sumedang, West Java on March 25, 2024. (Antara/Novrian Arbi)
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he Health Ministry, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), announced on Monday a new funding initiative that would pour in some US$5 million to help Indonesia build a more climate-resilient health system.
The initiative is supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), a multilateral financing mechanism that pools donations to assist developing countries reduce planet-heating emissions and adapt to climate crisis.
Speaking at the launch event on April 29, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the climate crisis had made global health systems more vulnerable to the spread of zoonotic diseases, citing the recent rise in local dengue cases as an example.
“Pathogens jump from animals to humans” in zoonosis, Budi explained. “With climate change, these animals are in more frequent contact with humans.”
The minister added that the risk of developing noninfectious diseases, such as malnutrition and respiratory illnesses, was also higher due to drought-induced crop failures and worsening air pollution, respectively.
While reaffirming the government’s commitment to leveraging facilities and networks for the GCF-supported initiative, he also called on other relevant ministries, such as the Environment and Forestry Ministry, to jump on the bandwagon.
“The Health Ministry will commit to supporting the energy and resources necessary to lead this project. To achieve the envisioned outcome together, the extensive collaboration of several ministries is necessary,” Budi said.
