WHO to start distributing COVID-19 vaccines to low income nations by early 2021

In an official announcement on December 18, the World Health Organisation said that it will start the distribution of the effective COVID-19 vaccines that have qualified for the regulatory approval and WHO pre-qualification by the end of 2021 to at least 92 low-income economies in the first half of 2021. These poor nations will have the first batch of vaccines to arrive under the COVAX AMC initiative. “COVAX, through Gavi, UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank, and other partners has been working closely with all countries in the Facility to help plan and prepare for the widespread roll-out of vaccines,” the WHO said in a release. 

The agency will gather detailed information about the infrastructure, appropriate legal frameworks, training, and capacity, and other relevant information of these countries to support the mass vaccination campaign for the population. The delivery of the vaccine in the first quarter of 2021 will ensure that at least 20 percent of the population in the vulnerable nations is inoculated by year-end. At least 190 participating countries, including the 98 wealthier nations will receive the vaccines. Thus far, only 86  nations have submitted the vaccine request, WHO informed in the statement. Meanwhile, it also asserted that the deliveries were subject to “regulatory approvals and country readiness.”

Read: COVID-19: WHO Says Govt Decisions In Coming Days Will Be 'decisive' Amid 1st Breakthrough

Read: WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Supporting Tigray Rebels, Accuses Ethiopian Army General

Aim to defeat virus at 'global level'

“Securing access to doses of a new vaccine for both higher-income and lower-income countries, at roughly the same time and during a pandemic, is a feat the world has never achieved before, let alone at such unprecedented speed and scale,” CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Dr. Seth Berkley said. He added, that the WHO COVAX has built a platform that will defeat the coronavirus pandemic on a global level. But in order to achieve this goal, both industry and the governments must cooperate.  Additionally, the WHO said that the agency was now looking to achieve the fundraiser targets, US$ 6.8 billion funding is needed in 2021, and US$ 800 million for research and development, US$ 4.6 billion for the COVAX AMC, and US$ 1.4 billion for delivery to support the COVAX AMC programme. 

Read: WHO Welcomes India's Role In Global Health, Tedros Lauds PM Modi's Vaccine Commitment

Read: PM Modi Calls With WHO Chief Dr Tedros, Duo Discuss Global Health Cooperation