India's role in fight against COVID-19 'very inspiring': Bill Gates
Bill Gates says India's research and manufacturing will be critical to fighting Covid-19 especially when it comes to making vaccines at large scale; adds that vaccine development alone won't address problem as its production can throw various challenges
- Oct 20, 2020,
- Updated Oct 20, 2020 2:36 PM IST
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has said India's research and vaccine manufacturing capabilities will help the world in fighting coronavirus. While delving deep on upcoming challenges of vaccine distribution across the world, Bill Gates, during the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting 2020, said India as a country has made long strides when it comes to developing health infrastructure. Calling India's journey "very inspiring", Gates said: "And now, India's research and manufacturing will be critical to fighting Covid-19 especially when it comes to making vaccines at large scale."
The Microsoft co-founder said right now the world was facing the biggest challenge in terms of ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Talking about the scientific breakthroughs with regard to coronavirus, Gates said researchers around the world are sharing data on a real-time basis rather than waiting for them to go through the traditional publication processes.
"Since the pandemic began, scientists have shared 1,37,000 viral Covid-19 genomic sequences," he added. He said the world has reunited against the deadly virus, which has claimed over 11 lakh lives so far. Even pharma companies are also cooperating in ways never seen before, said Gates. Gates said mRNA vaccine is one area that looks promising. "Probably, the first approved vaccine for Covid-19 will be mRNA," he said.
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has said India's research and vaccine manufacturing capabilities will help the world in fighting coronavirus. While delving deep on upcoming challenges of vaccine distribution across the world, Bill Gates, during the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting 2020, said India as a country has made long strides when it comes to developing health infrastructure. Calling India's journey "very inspiring", Gates said: "And now, India's research and manufacturing will be critical to fighting Covid-19 especially when it comes to making vaccines at large scale."
The Microsoft co-founder said right now the world was facing the biggest challenge in terms of ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Talking about the scientific breakthroughs with regard to coronavirus, Gates said researchers around the world are sharing data on a real-time basis rather than waiting for them to go through the traditional publication processes.
"Since the pandemic began, scientists have shared 1,37,000 viral Covid-19 genomic sequences," he added. He said the world has reunited against the deadly virus, which has claimed over 11 lakh lives so far. Even pharma companies are also cooperating in ways never seen before, said Gates. Gates said mRNA vaccine is one area that looks promising. "Probably, the first approved vaccine for Covid-19 will be mRNA," he said.