Union minister for health and family welfare Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Monday that India will resume export of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines and its contribution to COVAX from October onwards.
Mandaviya highlighted that the surplus supply of vaccines will be used to fulfil India’s commitment to the global fight against Covid-19 vaccines. COVAX is an initiative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines across all nations with focus on impoverished nations. The initiative is co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and WHO.
India supplied vaccines to 95 nations before the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic struck, according to the Union ministry of external affairs. India supplied 10.75 million Covid-19 vaccine doses as a grant to 46 countries out of which 200,000 vaccine doses were also given to UN Peacekeeping Forces. India commercially exported 35.79 million vaccine doses, according to data shared by the Union ministry of external affairs.
Bangladesh received at least 3.3 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine under the grant system and was among the highest recipients of vaccines under commercial agreement of 7 million vaccine doses. Brazil and Morocco also received 4 million doses and 7 million doses, respectively, under this agreement. Among other countries who received more than 100,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses under grant system were -- Mauritius, Fiji, Paraguay, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Mongolia, Barbados, Afghanistan, Oman, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
{{/usCountry}}Bangladesh received at least 3.3 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine under the grant system and was among the highest recipients of vaccines under commercial agreement of 7 million vaccine doses. Brazil and Morocco also received 4 million doses and 7 million doses, respectively, under this agreement. Among other countries who received more than 100,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses under grant system were -- Mauritius, Fiji, Paraguay, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Mongolia, Barbados, Afghanistan, Oman, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
{{/usCountry}}Several other African countries as well as island nations in the Caribbean and Oceania also received vaccine doses under the grant system.
Other than Morocco and Brazil, South Africa also received a million vaccine doses under commercial agreement. The United Kingdom received 5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines while Saudi Arabia received 4.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Neighbours Myanmar and Nepal received 2 million doses and 1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, respectively.
India donated 19.86 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine under the COVAX initiative to several impoverished countries. According to the data, India so far has exported 66.36 million doses of vaccines while administering 800 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to its own citizens.