New Delhi (NVI): More than 170 countries are engaged with the COVAX Global Vaccines Facility, a mechanism designed to provide equitable access to safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19 worldwide, the World Health Organization said.
“As of today 172 countries are now engaging with the COVAX Global Vaccines Facility, which has both the largest and most diverse COVID-19 vaccine portfolio in the world,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
He added that at present there are nine vaccines that are part of this portfolio which is constantly being reviewed and optimised to ensure access to the best possible range of products.
Tedros also said that discussions are ongoing with four more producers and a further nine vaccines are currently under evaluation for the longer term.
He informed that, the Facility is the critical mechanism for joint procurement and pooling risk across multiple vaccines so that whatever vaccine is proven to be safe and effective – all countries within the Facility will be able to access them.
According to WHO, the world has so far invested USD12 trillion in keeping economies moving. Investing in the COVAX Facility is the fastest way to end this COVID-19 pandemic and ensure a sustainable economic recovery.
“Through the allocation framework, COVAX will ensure that low, middle and high-income countries all receive the vaccine in a timely way as soon as there is a supply of a safe and effective vaccine,” said WHO chief.
Tedros further stated that a number of vaccines are now in the final stage of clinical trials and we all hope we’ll have multiple successful candidates that are both safe and effective.
“Our only way out of this COVID-19 pandemic is together. There is light at the end of the tunnel and as I said last week, together we can do it,” he added.
The WHO chief concluded and said, “In order to be able to secure enough doses to rollout the vaccines, the further step for the partnership is for countries to make binding commitments in support of the COVAX Facility.”
The countries will have to provide expression of intent by August 31 and to turn these into binding commitments by September 18. The first upfront payments will have to be made no later than October 9, WHO said.
It added, India is among the 92 low- and middle-income countries which are part of the COVID-19 vaccine access programme, whereas, 80 higher-income economies, which would finance the vaccines from their own public finance budgets, have so far submitted expressions of interest ahead of the August 31 deadline.
The COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and WHO, working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers.
However, the goal of COVAX is to deliver two billion doses of safe, effective vaccines that have passed regulatory approval and/or WHO prequalification by the end of 2021.
-RJV
