COVAX Initiative

In News 

•  Recently, the Union Health Minister announced to resume the export of COVID-19 vaccines under ‘Vaccine Maitri’ in order to fulfil the commitment towards COVAX.

About COVAX Initiative

• It is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
• Aim: To accelerate the development and manufacture of Covid-19 vaccines and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.
• COVAX is the vaccines pillar of the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.
  • The ACT Accelerator is a global collaboration to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to Covid-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

• Features:
  • Diverse and actively managed portfolio of vaccines.
  • End the acute phase of the pandemic.
  • Rebuild economies.

• Significance:
  • It will reduce the loss of life and help to get the pandemic under control.
  • Global equitable access to a vaccine, mainly protecting health care workers and those most at risk is the only way to mitigate the public health and economic impacts.

Source: TH