Singapore: Singapore announced to contribute $5 million on Friday to support low- and lower-middle-income countries procure Covid-19 vaccines. The announcement was made in a joint statement by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Health, reports Xinhua news agency.
The money would go through the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Advance Market Commitment (AMC) mechanism, which will help support 92 low- and lower-middle-income countries' access through the COVAX Facility, said the statement.
The COVAX Facility is a global risk-sharing mechanism which seeks to procure, equitably allocate and deliver 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021.
Singapore is one of 97 self-financing participants in the Facility.
The contribution is part of "our consistent support for vaccine multilateralism, and the fair and equitable access and allocation of vaccines", said the statement.
The AMC eligible countries include several ASEAN countries as well as small states globally, it added.
The Covid-19 virus "does not respect borders, and no one is safe until everyone is safe", said the statement, adding that the successful development of safe and efficacious vaccines is a critical step towards overcoming the pandemic.
Envoys Of 80 Countries To Visit COVID-19 Vaccine Firms In Hyderabad
Ambassadors and High Commissioners of around 80 countries will be landing in the city on December 9 to visit Bharat Biotech and BE limited which are working on the COVID-19 vaccine.
An official release said on Friday Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar held a meeting with an advance team, including Chief of Protocol Nagesh Singh and other senior officials of the state government and discussed the arrangements to be made in connection with the high profile visit,.
"Chief Secretary informed that the dignitaries will be visiting Bharat Biotech Limited and Biological E limited the industrial units which are working on the COVID-19 vaccine in the country.
He asked the officials to make foolproof arrangements duly following all the COVID-19 protocols during the visit of the dignitaries," the release said.
As many as five well equipped buses and a special medical team, should be put in place for the envoys.
A presentation should also be made to showcase the states potential in the production and supply of vaccine and should also include the Pharma City and Genome Valley, he added.
The Ministry of External Affairs is organising the visit of Ambassadors and High Commissioners to familiarise the foreign envoys about some key research and development activities being done by the country, according to the release.
(With IANS Inputs)