New Delhi: While calling India to play a major role in the vaccine campaign, UN Secretary Antonio Guterres called India’s vaccine production the “best asset” that the world has currently.
According to ANI while addressing reporters, the UN chief said, “I know that in India there is a very high level of production of Indian developed vaccines. We are in contact with Indian institutions for that. We strongly hope that India will have all the instruments that are necessary to play a major role in making sure that a global vaccination is campaign is made possible.”
“I think that the production capacity of India is the best asset that the world has today. I hope the world understands that it must be fully used,” he added according to the report.
Guterres talked about the need to democratize vaccines, ANI quoted him saying, “I would say a very important element on the democratization of access to medicines all over the world. I appealed once again today for the licenses to be made available in order for companies around the world to be able to produce some of the vaccines that already exist.”
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Guterres statements comes at a time when India sent of 55 lakhs of vaccine doses to the neighbouring countries. During a weekly briefing, External Affairs Ministry (EAM) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Thursday said India plans to gift vaccines doses to Oman, CARICOM countries, Nicaragua, Pacific Island states.
According to the ANI report, Srivastava said New Delhi plans to supply 1 crore doses to Africa and 10 lakh to United Nations health workers under GAVI’s (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) COVAX facility.
ANI quoted him as saying, “There is interest in many countries to access vaccine from India. In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that India sees international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic. We have played the role of the first responder in the neighbourhood.”
And he added, “From 20th January 2021 onward, we have gifted over 55 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines to our neighbouring countries and in the extended neighbourhood–1.5 lakh to Bhutan, 1 lakh to Maldives, Mauritius and Bahrain, 10 lakhs to Nepal, 20 lakhs to Bangladesh, 15 lakhs to Myanmar, 50,000 to Seychelles, 5 lakh to Sri Lanka. In the coming days, We plan to gift further quantity to Oman that is of 1 lakh doses, 5 lakh doses to CARICOM countries. 2 lakh to Nicaragua, 2 lakh doses to the Pacific island state.”
India will commercially export coronavirus vaccine to countries like Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Canada, Mongolia.
Srivastava was quoted in the ANI report, “…the export has taken place for Brazil Morocco and Bangladesh. Further supplies to countries on commercial bases are likely to take place to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Canada Mongolia and other countries. We plan to supply 1 crore or 10 million vaccine doses to Africa and 10 lakh to United Nations health workers under GAVI.”
