Much Funding Yet To Be Raised To Ensure COVID-19 Vaccine Access For Poorest Nations - MSF

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th November, 2020) Much funding has yet to be raised as part of the Gavi-led initiative to ensure that low-income countries have access to COVID-19 vaccines, the senior vaccines policy advisor for Doctors Without Borders' (MSF) Access Campaign told Sputnik.

World Health Organization and vaccine alliance Gavi have launched the COVAX Facility, so that countries would be able to join hands in ensuring equitable access to coronavirus vaccines worldwide. The global initiative has a special financial mechanism, the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), to help procure vaccines for low- and middle-income countries and small island economies.

"Regions/countries that may be hit the hardest are those that don't have domestic/regional vaccine [reserch and development], nor manufacturing capacity; which can't afford to purchase the vaccines based upon what pharma companies are charging; and which also don't represent an attractive volume of purchase to industry. While the COVAX AMC has been founded to try and remedy for this concern (for 92 countries), we have yet to see adequate doses secured for this group of countries, and much funding still needs to be raised," Kate Elder said.

Earlier in November, Gavi announced that over $2 billion has been raised for the COVAX AMC, but at least $5 billion more is needed in 2021 to support equitable access to vaccines.

According to the MSF official, apart from vaccines themselves, some of the countries will also need logistical and technical support.

"Some countries might use multiple vaccines in their program, which can complicate the distribution/logistics, and roll out/delivery. Also, it's important to consider the logistics/programmatic support that the country will need to prepare. For example, is the cold chain adequate? If not, can the country afford to purchase more (or is more to purchase even available?)" Elder added.

In addition, nations are also to decide on the "most appropriate vaccine for their context," in terms of vaccine efficacy, target groups, vaccine product characteristics and price.