New Delhi: World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has hailed India’s decision to resume COVID-19 vaccine exports as an ‘important development’ in support of the goal to reach 40 percent vaccination in all countries by end of the year.
India on Monday said that it will resume export of surplus COVID-19 vaccines in the fourth quarter of 2021 under the ”Vaccine Maitri” program and to meet its commitment to the COVAX global pool.
“Thank you Health Minister @mansukhmandviya for announcing #India will resume crucial #COVID19 vaccine shipments to #COVAX in October. This is an important development in support of reaching the 40% vaccination target in all countries by the end of the year,” WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus said in a tweet to Mandaviya with the hashtag vaccine equity.
Surplus vaccines will be exported as per India’s commitment to the collective fight against Covid-19, he said while addressing the media earlier this week.
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.