India’s Covid-19 vaccine seen as main hope for developing nations

<p class="p1">Lauding India's effort to develop the Covid-19 vaccine, Australian Ambassador to India Barry O'Farell on Wednesday said India is the only country that has the capacity to manufacture a vaccine for the world.</p>
<p class="p1">"There are many vaccines being produced in countries around the world, but there's only one country that has the manufacturing capacity to produce sufficient quantities to satisfy the demands of citizens in every country & that's India," Farell shared his statement given to ANI media after his visit to the Hyderabad biotech companies – Bharat Biotech and Biological E.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There're many vaccines being produced in countries around the world but there's only one country that has the manufacturing capacity to produce sufficient quantities to satisfy the demands of citizens in every country & that's India: Australian Ambassador to India Barry O'Farrell <a href="https://t.co/zJwdb7QU9r">https://t.co/zJwdb7QU9r</a> <a href="https://t.co/7GWvRwn6hR">pic.twitter.com/7GWvRwn6hR</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1336618009050271744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p class="p1">Not just Barell, but, Freddy Svane, Denmark's Ambassador to India, also appreciated India on Covid-19 vaccine development.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Future has arrived <a href="https://t.co/97oHmTB6n4">https://t.co/97oHmTB6n4</a></p>
— daikanyama (@svane_freddy) <a href="https://twitter.com/svane_freddy/status/1336540397644890114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p class="p1">Taking a step ahead to provide the vaccine to its neighbouring and friendly nation, India on November 29 announced the package of Rs 900 crore for the Mission Covid Suraksha – The Indian Covid-19 Vaccine Development Mission.</p>
<p class="p1">The Covid Suraksha Mission also aims to manufacture the vaccine for other nations. Dr. Swarup Rani, Secretary of Ministry of Science and Technology, speaking on Covid Suraksha Mission, said, "The intention is to work with our neighbouring countries, and we are doing it. We have created PACT — partnerships for accelerated clinical trials, and in this, we have started a training program where we are trying to build capacities for clinical trials in these countries."</p>

<p class="p1">In its effort to help its friendly nation, the government has reiterated its commitment that once approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), India in priority will manufacture the vaccine to the other nations.</p>
<p class="p1">Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) along with the Health Ministry and others is organising modules and sending its rapid response to other nation to deal with the pandemic.</p>
<p class="p1">In October, the Ministry of External Affairs also organised two training modules for its neighbouring countries where India's health expert shared its development on the Covid-19 vaccine and also helped them to scale up the cold chain, storage capacity for the vaccine. Around 90 health experts and scientists have participated in the module which held from October 17-19.</p>
<p class="p1">Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in March, pitched for a joint strategy to fight Covid-19 in the SAARC and offered an emergency fund of USD 10 million. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional grouping comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Some ideas on how SAARC nations can work together to tackle the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. <a href="https://t.co/b9K8tpPSzr">pic.twitter.com/b9K8tpPSzr</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1239226175508983810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p class="p1">In November, a 14-member rapid response team visited the Maldives to help the island nation in setting up coronavirus testing laboratories and train medical professionals to fight coronavirus.</p>
<p class="p1">According to Hindustan Times, India also sent a 15-member team, comprising healthcare personnel from the Army, to Kuwait as part of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.</p>
<strong>Read Also: <a href="https://indianarrative.com/india/pm-modi-rings-covid-19-vaccine-with-aatmanirbhar-bharat-doctrine-31082.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">PM Modi rings Covid-19 vaccine with Aatmanirbhar Bharat doctrine</a></strong>
<p class="p1">Time and again, India gifted essential life-saving medicines to Sri Lanka and Nepal to fight the pandemic.</p>
<p class="p1">India is known for its presence in global pharmaceuticals. According to the government, India is the largest provider of generic medicines globally, occupying a 20 per cent share in global supply by volume and also supplies 62 per cent of global demand for vaccines.</p>
<strong>Read Also: <a href="https://indianarrative.com/world/bangladesh-could-be-first-foreign-country-to-get-india-made-covid-vaccine-38244.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bangladesh could be first foreign country to get India-made Covid-19 vaccine</a></strong>.