The global vaccination effort against Covid-19 pandemic – especially in lower-income countries – has received a boost thanks to the G7’s commitments for 870 million additional doses to support equitable access to vaccines in 2021 and 2022.
The aim is to deliver at least half of such pledged Covid-19 doses by the end of 2021.
The doses will be provided to COVAX – the global initiative to ensure rapid and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines for all countries, regardless of their income level. Rwanda is one of the 190 countries that are members of COVAX.
It is co-led by Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the WHO.
This development was announced on Sunday, June 13, in what COVAX partners described as a landmark agreement at G7 Summit, held in Cornwall, UK.
The G7 is a group of seven advanced countries namely the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy.
In a joint statement, COVAX partners welcomed the development saying it will boost equitable access to vaccines in 2021 and 2022 and to help end the acute phase of the pandemic.
G7 countries reaffirmed their support for COVAX as "the primary route for providing vaccines to the poorest countries.”
Addressing supply gaps
Facing an urgent supply gap, the statement said, COVAX is focused on securing as many shared doses as possible immediately, as the third quarter of this year is when the gap between deliveries and countries’ ability to absorb doses will be greatest.
It said that COVAX will work with the G7 and other countries that have stepped up to share doses as rapidly and equitably as possible.
This, the statement noted, will help address short-term supply constraints currently impacting the global response to Covid-19 and minimise the prospect of future deadly variants.
"This is an important moment of global solidarity and a critical milestone in the push to ensure those most at risk, everywhere are protected,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi.
"As we strive towards our goal of ending the acute phase of the pandemic, we look forward to working with countries to ensure these doses pledged are quickly turned into doses delivered.”
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stressed: "Many other countries are now facing a surge in cases – and they are facing it without vaccines. We are in the race of our lives, but it’s not a fair race, and most countries have barely left the starting line. We welcome the generous announcements about donations of vaccines and thank leaders. But we need more, and we need them faster."
As of April 2021, COVAX Facility had shipped over 40 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to 119 participating economies (countries). It aims to deliver 2.5 billion safe and effective doses of Covid-19 vaccine by the end of 2021.
However, it was facing a funding gap of $19 billion for 2021, and limited supply of the needed medical products, according to information from the WHO.