Podcast host Sothea Ros speaks to Indonesia Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the groundbreaking initiatives the country adopted in response. 

Indonesia lifted all COVID-19 restrictions in December 2022, almost 3 years after the first confirmed case was announced.

In this episode of ADB SEADS's Experts Talk Solutions interview series, Indonesia Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin shares some lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and how the world's fourth most populous country managed the crisis. He says building local manufacturing capabilities for medical supplies and deploying digital technology, such as telemedicine, were key to managing the pandemic. He also underscores the significance of integrating environmental sustainability into health sector policies, recognizing the interconnectedness between human health, animal health, and environmental health. 

Minister Budi also discusses Indonesia's role in global health governance, including establishing a joint finance and health minister forum and a pandemic fund to provide quick access to financing during health crises.