WHO chief Tedros thanks India, PM Modi for supporting 'COVID-19 vaccine equity'

World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appreciated India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "supporting vaccine equity." The WHO chief added he hoped that other countries should follow India's lead.

Tedros tweeted, "Thanks, India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting vaccine equity. Your commitment to COVAX and sharing COVID-19 vaccine doses is helping 60+ countries start vaccinating their health workers and other priority groups. I hope other countries will follow your example."

Tedros took note of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts at supporting the global efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The WHO D-G had tweeted, "Thank you, India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for your continued support to the global COVID-19 response. Only if we #ACTogether, including sharing of knowledge, can we stop this virus and save lives and livelihoods."

India has provided 361.94 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine to various countries. Out of these, 67.5 lakh have been provided as grant assistance whereas 294.44 lakh have been supplied on a commercial basis, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

India has supplied vaccines as gifts to countries including Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Dominican Republic, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka. India has supplied vaccines on a commercial basis to Africa, Algeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Myanmar, South Africa, and the UAE.

Besides this, locally-made vaccines have been administered to all members of the diplomatic corps and their families based in the country, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.

With agency inputs; by Mehak Agarwal

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