The COVAX global vaccines facility is a program designed to pool funds from wealthier countries and non-profits to develop a COVID-19 vaccine and distribute it equitably around the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is reviewing the coronavirus vaccine candidates of nine developers, chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
WHO is in talks with four of the COVID-19 vaccine candidates to get them on board its COVAX global vaccines facility, reported The Economic Times citing Ghebreyesus.
The COVAX global vaccines facility is a program designed to pool funds from wealthier countries and non-profits to develop a COVID-19 vaccine and distribute it equitably around the world.
It aims to deliver two billion doses of effective, approved COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021. It is led by the WHO, along with the Gavi vaccine alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
COVAX is part of a broader program, called the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, that works to ensure that vaccines, treatments, diagnostic tests and other healthcare resources are broadly available to combat the pandemic.
As many as 172 countries are engaged with COVAX, and it has one of the most diverse vaccine portfolios in the world, Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying.
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The WHO chief said currently nine COVID-19 vaccine candidates are included in the portfolio, adding that discussions are ongoing for four more, said the report.
“This is in the interest of all manufacturers and countries. This does not only pool risks but also means prices will be kept as low as possible,” Ghebreyesus reportedly said at a media briefing.
Currently, more than 75 countries have expressed interest in joining the COVAX financing scheme designed to guarantee rapid and equitable access globally to COVID-19 vaccines, according to the GAVI vaccines alliance.
The 75 countries, which would finance the vaccines from public budgets, partner with up to 90 poorer countries supported through voluntary donations to GAVI's COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), the alliance said in a statement.
The interest, from governments representing more than 60 percent of the world's population, shows a "vote of confidence" in the effort to secure global access to COVID-19 vaccines, it added.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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