172 Countries Engaged in COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility, WHO Reveals

The World Health Organization (WHO) on a press release published on August 24, 2020, has revealed that there are already one hundred and seventy-two (172) countries and multiple candidates of Coronavidus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines that have engaged to potentially participate in COVAX.

What is COVAX

COVAX, as defined by WHO, is a global initiative aimed at working with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries worldwide equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, once they are licensed and approved.

The said global initiative is the largest and most diverse COVID-19 vaccine portfolio in the world. It includes nine (9) candidate vaccines and nine (9) other vaccines under evaluation. COVAX is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available to both higher-income and lower-income countries all over the globe.

“Equal access to a COVID-19 vaccine is the key to beating the virus and paving the way for recovery from the pandemic.”

– Stefan Löfven, Prime Minister of Sweden

The 172 Countries

To be able to secure enough doses of vaccines to protect the most vulnerable populations, COVAX is to confirm potential self-financing participants to participate by August 31 and to make them join the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX Facility) by September 18.

“By pooling resources and acting in solidarity through the ACT Accelerator and the COVAX Facility, we can ensure that once a vaccine is available for COVID-19, it’s available equitably to all countries.”

– Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO

As reported by WHO, eighty (80) higher-income economies have so far submitted Expressions of Interest for confirmation of intent to participate ahead of the deadline.

If it meets its funding targets, these higher-income economies will partner with 92 low- and middle-income countries supported by the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), and together, this group of 172 countries represents more than 70% of the world’s population.

The Goal of the COVAX

Here are some of the goals of COVAX as made mention by the World Health Organization:

• To accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines
• To guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world
• To deliver two billion doses of safe, effective vaccines that have passed regulatory approval and/or WHO prequalification by the end of 2021

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SOURCE

WHO