Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar replied to questions in Rajya Sabha.
Vaccine Maitri Programme
India has supplied over 723 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 94 countries and two UN entities since the start of the Vaccine Maitri Programme in January this year, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
What is Vaccine Maitri Programme?
Vaccine Maitri is a humanitarian initiative started by India on January 20, 2021, to provide Covid-19 Vaccines to world nations. India has so far supplied 723.435 lakh doses of Covid vaccine to 94 countries and two UN entities in the form of a grant, commercial export or through COVAX till November 29, 2021
Minister of State for Health, Bharati Pravin Pawar in Rajya Sabha
In a written reply to the question, the Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said India has supplied 723.435 lakh doses of Covid vaccine to 94 countries and two UN entities in the form of a grant, commercial export or through COVAX till November 29, 2021
India supplied COVID-19-related medical and other assistance to over 150 countries since the beginning of the pandemic, she stated
Aid to India
In the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic during the second wave, support in the form of Covid-related equipment and medicines were received from more than 50 countries. These included supplies from foreign governments, private companies, Indian associations abroad, Ms Pawar stated.
Covax by WHO
In reply to a separate question on the government’s response to the call for helping low-income countries, Ms. Pawar said COVAX facility co-led by WHO has maintained that no effort should be spared to substantially increase vaccine supply for lower-income countries and has called all countries that are well-supplied with COVID-19 vaccines to donate doses to COVAX and on manufacturers to prioritize supplies to COVAX.
The Government of India has so far already supplied 222.56 lakh of COVID-19 vaccine doses to COVAX, she stated.