New Delhi (NVI): External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar has announced that India will gift 2 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccine to UN Peacekeeping forces.
Jaishankar made the announcement while delivering an address at the UNSC Open Debate on the fight against Covid-19.
“Keeping in mind the UN Peacekeepers who operate in such difficult circumstances, we would like to announce today a gift of 200,000 doses for them. We are working actively with GAVI, WHO and ACT Accelerator. Our contribution has also supported the SAARC,” the minister said.
Made in India vaccines supplied to 25 nations: 49 countries across the world will be added soon.
Announced gift of 200,000 doses to UN Peacekeepers.https://t.co/TwG3Y4CsXw
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 17, 2021
Noting that India has been at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 pandemic, Jaishankar said that in the initial stages, India was supplying medical essential to the world and it is now supplying made in India vaccines under ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative.
So far, the country has supplied vaccines to 25 nations while 49 more countries will be added soon in the coming days, ranging from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean to Africa, South-East Asia and the Pacific Islands.
“Apart from the two Made in India vaccines which have been approved for emergency use, 30 more vaccines are at various stages of trials in India,” he added.
“The Bhagavad Gita states ‘do your work with the welfare of others always in mind’. That is the spirit in which India approaches the COVID challenge and urges this Council to work collectively to address its different dimensions,” he said.
The minister also made a nine-point suggestion to effectively tackle the pandemic.
The suggestions include persistence with the vaccination drive, collaboration on genomic surveillance and exchange information, effectively addressing public resistance to vaccines, improvement of public health infrastructure and building capacity, stopping ‘vaccine nationalism’ and promotion of, strengthening of the COVAX to ensure equitable distribution, urgent resumption of immunization programmes among others.
-CHK
