As COVID-19 continues to spread in most countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region, the World Health Organization has called for stronger collective efforts to curtail the virus transmission, urging the countries to plan for efficient roll out of vaccines as soon as they are available.
"Like the rest of the world, the region continues to be at risk. To stop the spread of COVID-19 virus, we need to do it all continued strong leadership, robust public health measures, clear communication and an engaged, empowered and enabled population," said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region.
In a communication to member countries, the regional director said the global race for a COVID-19 vaccine has gathered momentum.
In anticipation of development of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, countries should be prepared with an efficient and coordinated strategy and plan for roll-out of vaccination, she said.
Vaccine availability is likely to be limited initially, hence will be important to clearly identify goals of national vaccination strategy, Singh added.
In the spirit of promoting fair and equitable access to the vaccines across all countries, WHO is proposing that countries prioritise at-risk population as they develop in-country vaccination strategies. Available vaccines should first be provided to priority populations and then expanded to others, she said.
"The COVID-19 vaccination should aim at minimising the societal and economic impact by reducing deaths caused by the disease," Singh said.
Listing out nine priority areas for COVID-19 vaccine introduction and roll-out, the regional director said, a national level coordination committee would be needed to oversee vaccination; an expedited regulatory pathway for approval of new vaccine; a technical advisory group to recommend prioritisation of risk groups; protocols on infection prevention and control measures to minimise exposure during immunisation sessions; training plans for vaccine introduction; and monitoring systems to measure coverage, acceptability and disease surveillance.
Countries would also need to strengthen vaccine cold chain systems, ensure trained staff perform vigilance activities for vaccine safety and importantly, a vaccine demand generation plan to instill confidence and acceptance among people for the new vaccine.
Ensuring continued WHO support, Sigh said, "Together we must continue to strengthen the COVID-19 response by aggressively applying the basic public health measures, and also looking ahead and ensuring that we make full use of emerging tools to control spread, save lives and minimise impact.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU