Health Ministry, NITI Aayog launch COVID vaccination learning exchange platform 'CoVLEx'

NITI Aayog and Union Health Ministry on September 18, have launched a USAID-funded initiative called "City-to-City COVID-19 Vaccination Learning Exchange (CoVLEx)" to start an exchange of ideas and learnings on pandemic response and to build a global COVID-19 vaccination kwledge manment platform.

According to a press release, CoVLEx platform will create kwledge products like an interactive web-based information portal and a Best Practices Compendium and host virtual forums for cities and countries to share ir experiences.
Vaccine procurement, governance, digital invation planning and manment, vaccine supply chain, communications and social mobilisation, capacity building, verse events after immunisation, and monitoring and supervision will be among subjects discussed.

programme was launched by Dr Vid K. Paul, NITI Aayog Member; Dr Mahar Agnani, ditional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India; and Veena Reddy, Mission Director, USAID, India. y were accompanied by Dr Rakesh Kumar, Chief visor, Population Services International, representatives from Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, USAID, state governments of Mhya Presh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, WHO, UNICEF, Gates Foundation, PATH, and participants from Nigeria, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, Banglesh, Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa.

In aftermath of COVID-19 epidemic, countries have faced difficult challenges in terms of reaction and recovery, particularly those in Global South that lack domestic vaccine production capability. Despite setbacks, numerous governments have attempted to introduce creative solutions through collaborations, techlogy, and private sector participation.

Under leership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has played a key role in distributing vaccinations to 95 countries under "Maitri vaccine" very early in his vaccination campaign. He is currently heing world's largest free vaccination programme.

“Last year embodies genuine essence of global solidarity, creativity, and collaboration. From its national efforts, India can teach or countries a lot. In our fight against Covid-19, ding and implementing Global South's proven interventions will be a welcome step,” said NITI Aayog Fellow Dr Vid K Paul.

Dr Mahar Agnani, ditional Secretary, MoHFW, said, “India's immunisation campaign has been invigorated in recent months, with up to 100 million vaccines ministered in two weeks in September. This is result of meticulous planning and joint efforts by Centre and state governments in production, procurement, and supply of vaccines, supplemented by techlogical vancements such as CoWIN, etc. Government of India will fully contribute and support provision of kwledge and tools to or countries to help m accelerate ir vaccination campaigns.”

“Inevitably, each country is at a different st of its national COVID-19 immunisation campaign. As we race to vaccinate populations to end pandemic and better man future public health crises, bringing toger dors, governments, development organisations, and private sector from 11 countries will be able to provide valuable information on COVID-19 vaccination best practises, challenges, and invative solutions,” Veena Reddy, Mission Director, USAID, India, ded.

Dr Rakesh Kumar, Chief visor to Population Services International (PSI) stated, “With introduction of new varieties, unvaccinated populations continue to bear burden of coronavirus. re are numerous reasons to provide global community with skills to vaccinate ir populations effectively, and world has joined toger to develop vaccines in a short period of time. Because virus is still young and evolving, continuous kwledge exchange will help to strengn national immunisation efforts in or countries and inspire ors to follow in his footsteps.”

Fifteen cities from India and around world will take part in effort at first to interact with or towns in future. Covid-19 vaccination techniques have potential to be a game-changer in terms of boosting routine national immunisation programmes, which will aid in delivery of effective primary health care services and expedite progress toward universal health cover.

Im: PTI