'Thanks To India' COVAX's Target To Inoculate 40% In All Countries Can Be Attained: WHO

<p><strong>New Delhi:</strong> With India resuming its export of vaccination, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked India for the initiative aiming to fulfil its commitment towards COVAX.</p> <p>In a tweet on Wednesday, Ghebreyesus thanked Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The WHO director-general further said India's decision to export Covid-19 vaccines "is an important development in support of reaching the 40 per cent vaccination target in all countries by the end of the year".</p> <p><strong>READ: <a href="https://ift.tt/3kt7XON Crisis, Covid &amp; An Indirect Message For China: Key Takeaways From Joe Biden's Speech At UNGA</a></strong></p> <p>"This is an important development in support of reaching the 40 per cent vaccination target in all countries by the end of the year,&rdquo; he tweeted.</p> <p>[tw]https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1440425992246337543?s=20[/tw]</p> <p>On Monday, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced that India will resume the export of surplus Covid-19 vaccines from next quarter under the 'Vaccine Maitri' programme.</p> <p>The initiative will be resumed to meet India&rsquo;s commitment to the COVAX global pool.&nbsp; However, vaccinating own citizens remains the topmost priority of the government, the Minister stated.</p> <p>The government will receive over 30 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines in October and over 100 crore doses in the next three months, added the minister.</p> <p>Announcing the resumption of the 'Vaccine Maitri' programme, Mandaviya emphasised that inoculating Indian citizens remains the government's topmost priority.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>The Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access or COVAX is a worldwide initiative spearheaded by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the WHO to ensure equitable distribution of jabs.</p>