SINGAPORE - Temasek Foundation has invested in the effort to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, said Temasek International executive director and chief executive officer Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara on Tuesday (Nov 3).

He said this in response to a question on Temasek's role in helping to procure and distribute the vaccine, during a discussion at the Temasek Trust Conversation.

Temasek Trust is the philanthropic arm of Singapore investment firm Temasek.

Mr Pillay said the foundation had invested in an entity considered to be a leader in the quest for developing an effective vaccine, but added that the responsibility for ensuring sufficient vaccines are available is that of the Government.

The foundation will provide whatever help it can through its network and relationships as it is a collaborative effort, he added.

Amid the pandemic, Temasek has supported its foundation and partners in diagnosis, containment and contact tracing, treatment, protection and prevention, and enablement, which entails the donation of key supplies such as masks, test kits and ventilators to more than 40 countries.

Reports have also said that Temasek is among the investors who have injected US$250 million (S$340 million) through private placement in German biotech firm BioNTech, which is developing a Covid-19 vaccine.

Locally, Temasek has distributed 19 million masks to Singaporean residents and one million face shields to young schoolchildren and front-line workers in the food and beverage industry, while 250,000 oximeters - devices used to measure blood oxygen levels - were donated to various groups in the community.