'Thanks To India' COVAX's Target To Inoculate 40% In All Countries Can Be Attained: WHO

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had announced that India will resume the export of surplus Covid-19 vaccines from next quarter under the 'Vaccine Maitri' programme.

World Health Organization (WHO) | File Image

New Delhi: With India resuming its export of vaccination, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked India for the initiative aiming to fulfil its commitment towards COVAX.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Ghebreyesus thanked Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The WHO director-general further said India's decision to export Covid-19 vaccines "is an important development in support of reaching the 40 per cent vaccination target in all countries by the end of the year".

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"This is an important development in support of reaching the 40 per cent vaccination target in all countries by the end of the year,” he tweeted.

On Monday, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced that India will resume the export of surplus Covid-19 vaccines from next quarter under the 'Vaccine Maitri' programme.

The initiative will be resumed to meet India’s commitment to the COVAX global pool.  However, vaccinating own citizens remains the topmost priority of the government, the Minister stated.

The government will receive over 30 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines in October and over 100 crore doses in the next three months, added the minister.

Announcing the resumption of the 'Vaccine Maitri' programme, Mandaviya emphasised that inoculating Indian citizens remains the government's topmost priority.

Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Morocco, South Africa, Afghanistan, Mexico, DR Congo, Nigeria and the UK were among some of the beneficiaries of the Vaccine Maitri initiative.

The Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access or COVAX is a worldwide initiative spearheaded by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the WHO to ensure equitable distribution of jabs.