New Delhi, COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility arrived in four countries of WHO South-East Asia Region this week. Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka received over 620,000 doses of Astra Zeneca vaccines produced by Serum Institute of India on 7 March, while Indonesia welcomed its consignment of 1.1 million doses on 8 March.
Photo credit: WHO Nepal
COVID-19 vaccines via COVAX arriving in Kathmandu, Nepal
COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Gavi) and the World Health Organization (WHO) –working in partnership with UNICEF as key implementing partner, as well as civil society organizations, vaccine manufacturers, the World Bank, and others.
Photo credit: WHO Indonesia: Ministry of Communication and Informatics
COVAX vaccines arrive in Indonesia
COVAX is working towards delivering at least 2 billion doses of vaccine to participating countries around the globe in 2021, including at least 1.3 billion donor-funded doses to the 92 lower-income COVAX Facility participants.
Photo credit: WHO Maldives
The first tranche of vaccines through COVAX that arrived in Maldives
“Equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines has been at the heart of the COVAX initiative, so that no country is left behind,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region.
“But vaccines alone will not help the world win the battle against COVID-19. While vaccines are a critical tool, we need to remember that we also need to continue practising COVID appropriate behaviours to protect us as we live through this pandemic,” the Regional Director said.
The vaccines through COVAX Facility are expected to boost COVID-19 vaccination drive in the Region which has so far benefitted nearly 25 million people, most of them health and frontline workers, the aged and other vulnerable groups.
WHO and other COVAX partners have been working closely with countries preparing them for the vaccination campaigns - training health workers and vaccinators, assessing and addressing gaps for planning, managing and monitoring of activities during vaccination rollout.
Photo credit: WHO Sri Lanka
Officials in Sri Lanka receive the first lot of COVID-19 vaccines via the COVAX Facility