On 16 December 2024, Germany and Indonesia, supported by the Global Fund, signed a historic €75 million Debt2Health agreement to strengthen Indonesia’s public health systems. This is the largest debt swap under the initiative, aimed at combating infectious diseases and enhancing health system resilience.

Half of the converted funds will directly support Indonesia’s fight against tuberculosis (TB), addressing its status as the country with the second-largest TB burden globally. Investments will enhance screening, procure diagnostic tools, and expand outreach programs. Other funds will bolster malaria control, improve health infrastructure, and promote local medicine production.

The Debt2Health mechanism, pioneered by Germany in 2007, transforms national debt into health investments, facilitating sustainable financing for health. Germany has played a key role in 10 out of 14 such agreements globally.

Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, praised the agreement as a model for innovative financing that aligns health investments with domestic funding transitions, ensuring long-term impact against AIDS, TB, and malaria.