Airlifted COVID-19 vaccines to 9 international locations, will gradually supply to WHO’s COVAX facility: India at UN

India has knowledgeable the UN Security Council that it will gradually supply vaccines to the COVAX facility of the World Health Organisation and undertake contractual provides to numerous international locations in a phased method, as greater than six million doses have been airlifted to 9 international locations beneath New Delhi’s ‘vaccine diplomacy.’ “As the largest vaccine-producing country of the world, we are fulfilling our commitment to make our vaccine production and delivery capacity available for the benefit of the entire humanity,” India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador K. Nagaraj Naidu mentioned on Monday.

Speaking at the UN Security Council briefing on ‘Maintenance of international peace and security: Follow-up on the implementation of resolution 2532’, Mr. Naidu mentioned two vaccines have already been granted approval for emergency use in India and the nation plans to vaccinate about 300 million citizens within the first six months.

Resolution 2532 (2020), adopted in July 2020, expressed assist for the Secretary-General’s enchantment for a world ceasefire to assist unite efforts to battle COVID-19 on this planet’s most weak international locations.

Also learn: Coronavirus | Nepal, Bangladesh receive Covishield consignments

“We have already airlifted more than 6 million doses to nine countries in Phase-I as grant assistance. Contractual supplies to various countries are also being undertaken in a phased manner. We will also gradually supply to the COVAX facility of the WHO,” Mr. Naidu mentioned, including that India has additionally supplied coaching to a number of accomplice international locations to strengthen their scientific capabilities, in addition to to improve their capacities for vaccine administration.

COVAX is the worldwide initiative to guarantee fast and equitable entry to COVID-19 vaccines for all international locations, no matter earnings stage.

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Last week, COVAX had introduced that, pending WHO emergency use listings, practically 150 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford candidate are anticipated to be accessible within the first quarter of 2021, by way of present agreements with the Serum Institute of India (SII) and AstraZeneca.

Mr. Naidu informed the Council that India has assisted greater than 150 international locations via pressing well being and medical provides.

New Delhi has pledged 15 million dollars for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, and operationalised the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for its neighbours with an preliminary contribution of 10 million {dollars}.

“In the spirit of South-South cooperation, through the $150 million India-UN Development Partnership Fund, we have responded to member states’ requests for COVID-19 related assistance,” Mr. Naidu mentioned.

He underscored that whereas the pandemic continues to rage internationally, 2021 has began on a optimistic be aware with many international locations having initiated the vaccination course of.

He, nevertheless, cautioned that “no one is safe, till everyone is safe. Our endeavor should be to work towards making the vaccine accessible on a universal, equitable and affordable basis.”

Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the Maldives have obtained India’s COVID-19 vaccines beneath grant help in sync with its “Neighbourhood First” coverage.

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India has already rolled out a large coronavirus vaccination drive beneath which two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are being administered to frontline well being employees throughout the nation.

Also learn: Coronavirus | Myanmar, Mauritius, Seychelles receive Covishield vaccine

Last week, Bangladesh and Nepal obtained COVID-19 vaccines from India.

India despatched 150,000 doses of Covisheild vaccines to Bhutan and 100,000 doses to the Maldives, whereas over two million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been supplied to Bangladesh, about a million doses to Nepal. Myanmar obtained over a million doses and Sri Lanka 500,000.

On Friday, India started business exports of COVID-19 vaccines and despatched(*9*)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has thanked India for supplying COVID-19 vaccines to his nation and shared on social media an illustration of Lord Hanuman bringing ‘Sanjivani booti’ from India to Brazil.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had replied via a tweet that “The honour is ours, President @jairbolsonaro to be a trusted partner of Brazil in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic together. We will continue to strengthen our cooperation on healthcare.” In maintaining with India’s acknowledged dedication to use India’s vaccine manufacturing and supply capability to assist all of humanity battle the COVID pandemic, provides beneath grant help to Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles started from January 20 beneath the initiative termed “Vaccine Maitri”. The MEA mentioned that in an ongoing effort, India will proceed to supply international locations all around the world with vaccines.

“This will be calibrated against domestic requirements and international demand and obligations, including under GAVI’s Covax facility to developing countries,” the MEA had mentioned in a press release.