Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged USD 15 million to the international vaccine alliance GAVI on Thursday, stating the contribution as the country’s stand in solidarity with the world amid the growing challenges.
PM Modi made the announcement during the virtual Global Vaccine Summit hosted by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on on Thursday.
More than 50 countries, including business leaders, UN agencies, civil society, ministers and Heads of State participated in the summit.
At the live-streamed summit, $8.8 billion was raised from countries around the world to vaccinate millions of children against infectious diseases including polio, measles, diphtheria in poor countries between 2021-2025, Times Of India reported.
‘India’s civilisation teaches to see the world as one family and that during this pandemic it had tried to live up to this teaching,’ Modi said, while addressing the heads of the countries.
In the government statement released after the summit, Modi said that India had shared its stocks of medicines with over 120 countries, building a common response strategy in its immediate neighbourhood and provided specific help to countries in need, along with protecting its own population.
He further said that the country was fortunate to contribute to the immunization of 60% of the world’s children, and that GAVI was not just an alliance but a symbol of global solidarity.
‘Our support to Gavi is not only financial, India brought down the global price of vaccines. Our proven capacity to produce quality medicines and vaccines at low cost and our own experience in rapidly expanding immunisation and our scientific talent are all at the service of humanity. You can count on India’s support,’ the statement further read.
The United States pledged USD 1.16 billion, Saudi Arabia pledged USD 150 million, China (USD 20 million), European Commission (EURO 300 million), Japan (USD 300 million), and Australia pledged AUD 300 million. The UK remained the world’s leading donor, pledging £1.65 billion over the next five years, the media organisation reported.
Also Read: Gujarat: Eight Killed In Chemical Factory Blast, Several Injured
