India to contribute $15 million to global vaccination alliance

NEW DELHI: India will contribute $15 million to an international vaccine alliance, Gavi, announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the virtual Global Vaccine Summit.
Prime Minister said the Covid-19 pandemic, in some ways, has exposed the limitations of global cooperation and that for the first time in recent history, the humankind faces a clear common enemy.
PM Modi said India recognizes and values the work of GAVI, that is why it became a donor to GAVI while still being eligible for GAVI support.

The Geneva-based organisation works toward vaccinating children across the globe against deadly and debilitating diseases. Gavi is addressing the immediate needs triggered by coronavirus, including providing essential medical supplies and helping to increase testing and surveillance of the disease.
If a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine is developed, Gavi will have a role in its delivery around the world. Global access will ensure a collective international recovery and reduce the risk of future waves of infection.
At the summit, which was attended by over 50 countries, the PM said India has a vast population and limited health facilities and that it understands the importance of immunization.
Modi was among around 35 heads of state and government participants, including US President Donald Trump, to virtually join the conference aimed at raising $7.4 million to immunise a further 300 million children in the world's poorest countries by 2025.
Prime Minister said that one of the first programmes launched by his government was Mission Indradhanush, which aims to ensure full vaccination of the country’s children and pregnant women, including those in the remote parts of the vast nation.
He said to expand protection, India has added six new vaccines to its National Immunization Programme.
The PM underlined his country's commitment towards the world when India decided to share the stock of medicines with over 120 countries.
"India’s civilization teaches to see the world as one family and that during this pandemic it had tried to live upto this teaching by forging a common response strategy in its immediate neighborhood and by providing specific support to countries that sought it, while also protecting India’s own vast population," he said.
Prime Minister reiterated that India stands in solidarity with the world along with its proven capacity to produce quality medicines and vaccines at low cost, its own domestic experience in rapidly expanding immunization and its considerable scientific research talent.
India not only has the capacity to contribute to the global health efforts, but also has the will to do so in a spirit of sharing and caring, he said.
The UK government said the funding raised from the summit will not only protect children from deadly diseases like polio, diphtheria and measles and save up to 8 million lives, but will also help ensure a global recovery from the coronavirus.
“Just as the UK is the single biggest donor to the international effort to find a coronavirus vaccine, we will remain the world's leading donor to Gavi, contributing 1.65 billion pounds over the next five years. I urge you to join us to fortify this lifesaving alliance and inaugurate a new era of global health cooperation, which I believe is now the most essential shared endeavour of our lifetimes,” Johnson said in his address.
The UK said that vaccinating millions of children against these other deadly diseases would help protect healthcare systems in the world's poorest countries so they can cope with rising coronavirus cases.
Health experts have warned that if the virus is left to spread in developing countries, this could lead to future waves of infection reaching the UK, Downing Street said.
(With inputs from PTI)