- Sunday, April 06, 2025
By: indiaweekly.biz Staff
INDIA is among over 50 countries and organisations confirmed to participate in the UK-led virtual Global Vaccine Summit to be hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday (4).
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi or a high-level Indian representative is expected to participate live or with a pre-recorded message along with at least 35 heads of state or governments at the event, which aims to raise at least $7.4 billion (£5.9bn) for the global vaccine alliance Gavi.
Gavi — a UN-backed organisation which coordinates vaccinations across the world — will set up resources to protect future generations with vaccines and reduce disease inequality.
“The response we have had from India is very positive,” said Lord Tariq Ahmad, Minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth.
“India’s participation in Gavi and in supporting the (coronavirus) vaccine cannot in any way be underestimated and we continue to work together.
“It is an established fact that 50 per cent of the world’s vaccine production is currently in India, which makes it an important partner in that area.”
In 2014, from being a recipient country of Gavi, India became a donor country and has contributed around $12 million to date.
“It is a notable achievement for India that it has become a supporter, and that demonstrates the steps India has taken in recent years,” Ahmad said.
“When we look at the scale of production which India has of vaccines, it will be an important partner in ensuring a large number of vaccines are readily available in an equitable fashion.”
The virtual summit this week comes against the backdrop of the University of Oxford’s fast-track trials for a potential vaccine to protect against coronavirus.
However, it has a wider remit as the UK hopes it would help raise the funds required for Gavi to vaccinate over 300 million children against infectious diseases in the world’s poorest countries over the next five years.
In April, the UK had set up a Vaccines Taskforce to support the discovery of a coronavirus vaccine and prepare industry supply chains to manufacture it at scale once it is developed.
“We have been working through our Vaccines Taskforce on strengthening our relations, both at a government-to-government level but also through the private sector and we will be looking to further strengthen that in the coming weeks and months,” said Ahmad, in reference to India-UK collaboration in the field.
