PHOTO: VCG

By Staff Reporters

Response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, were major issues for attendants from across the global at this year's World Health Assembly.

Being described as a global public good, COVID-19 vaccines play a crucial role in ending the pandemic. However, almost one billion people in lower-income countries remain unvaccinated as of May 22, compared to 80 percent in high-income countries who had received at least a single dose, according to WHO.

No one is safe until everyone is safe. To get vaccine protection is the way to keep everyone safe, Zheng Zhijie, chief representative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to China, said during an online seminar held on June 10.

Official data shows that China has provided two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 120 countries and international organizations for the global COVID-19 response. To date, three kinds of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines have got emergency use approval from WHO.

Moreover, China pledged 100 million USD to help fund GAVI COVAX Advance Market Commitment, a financing mechanism that aims to provide donor-funded doses of COVID-19 vaccines to cover the population across low- and middle-income countries.

"This is the mechanism we use to supply doses for the 92 lower-income countries around the world that make up about half of global population," said Dr.Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI Alliance, adding that "It puts China the most significant funders of COVAX (the global vaccine programme run by GAVI and the WHO)."

According to Berkley, almost 220 million doses of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines have reached 50 countries, becoming particularly crucial in 2021 when global vaccine supply was particularly tight.

"Thanks to the support of donors like China, and manufactures including Sinovac and Sinopharm, COVAX has shipped now over 1.5 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 146 countries and territories," said Berkley.

Though progresses have been made, the number of countries with vaccination coverage under 10 percent of the population has decreased from 34 in January to 18 today, COVAX has been calling on countries to urgently act on closing the global vaccine equity gap, by building a global procurement, shipment, and delivery system.

China can play a major role in this effort, continuingly contribute to financing, technical assistance, and help with vaccine supply, said Berkley.