UN Chief lauds India's COVID-19 vaccine assistance to nations
India's vaccine production capacity is one of the best assets the world has today, UN Secretary-General Chief Antonio Guterres said as he applauded India for supplying COVID-19 vaccine doses to nations around the world to combat the catastrophic global health crisis. He expressed hope that India will have all instruments necessary to play a major role in ensuring a global vaccination campaign becomes possible.
'India played an important role in the production of generics'
"I would like to say how much we count on India. India has the most advanced pharmaceutical industries. It played an important role in generics production for use that was an important element of democratization of access to medicines all over the world," Guterres said.
India is also commercially exporting COVID-19 vaccines
New Delhi has pledged $15 million for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, and operationalized the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for its neighbors with an initial contribution of $10 million. Further, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives have received India's vaccines under grant assistance. India also began commercial exports of COVID-19 vaccines and sent two million doses each to Brazil and Morocco.
India has airlifted six million vaccine doses in Phase-I
India has airlifted over six million COVID-19 doses to nine countries in Phase-I under Vaccine Maitri. Contractual supplies to various countries are being undertaken in a phased manner. New Delhi has said it will gradually supply to the COVAX facility of the World Health Organization.
Joe Biden administration has also applauded India for vaccine supply
This month, COVAX had announced that, pending WHO emergency use listings, nearly 150 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford candidate are anticipated to be available in the first quarter of 2021. The Joe Biden administration has also applauded India for sending vaccines to a host of South Asian nations, describing India as a true friend who is using its pharma to help the global community.
'Licenses should be made available for companies around the world'
Guterres also reiterated one of his priorities for 2021 is that licenses should be made available for companies around the world to be able to produce some vaccines that already exist. "In India, there is a high level of production, both of Indian-developed vaccines, and I think there is a perspective of others. We are in contact with Indian institutions for that," Guterres said.
India to vaccinate 300 million citizens in first six months
India has already rolled out a massive coronavirus vaccination drive under which two vaccines, Covishield and COVAXIN, are being administered to frontline health workers across the country. The country plans to vaccinate about 300 million citizens in the first six months.
'Vaccine hoarding could cost economy up to $9.2 trillion'
Meanwhile, Guterres said that vaccines are the first great moral test before the world. He voiced concern that the world is falling short and vaccines are reaching a handful of countries quickly, while the poorest countries have almost none. "Vaccine hoarding could cost the global economy up to $9.2 trillion, with almost half of that impact in the wealthiest countries themselves," he added.
COVID-19 cannot be beaten by one country at a time
"Science is succeeding, but solidarity is failing. Governments have a responsibility to protect their populations, but COVID-19 cannot be beaten by one country at a time," he said. "If the virus is allowed to spread like wildfire in the South, it will inevitably mutate; becoming more transmissible, deadlier, and more resistant to vaccines, ready to come back to hound the global North," Guterres added.
