India to gift 10 million Coronavirus vaccine doses to Africa, 1 million to UN: MEA

India is planning to donate 10 million vaccine doses to Africa and 1 million to the United Nations under the GAVI's (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) COVAX facility, which is being run by the World Health Organisation (WHO). External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Thursday said that India India plans to gift vaccines to Oman, CARICOM countries, Nicaragua, Pacific Island states.

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India has gifted 55 lakh doses

Srivastava also said that India has so far gifted over 5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles, and Mauritius. He added that New Delhi has also gifted 1 lakh doses of vaccines to Bahrain, which arrived in the Kingdom earlier on Thursday. Srivastava said that India now intends to gift vaccine doses to Oman, Caribbean countries, Nicaragua, and Pacific island states. 

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Srivastava said that India will gift 1 lakh doses of vaccine to Oman, 5 lakh doses to Caribbean countries, 2 lakh doses to Nicaragua, and 2 lakh doses to Pacific island states. According to Srivastava, out of the 55 lakh doses of vaccine donated so far, 20 lakh has been given to Bangladesh, 1.5 lakh to Bhutan, 10 lakh to Nepal, 15 lakh to Myanmar, 1 lakh to the Maldives, 1 lakh to Mauritius, 5 lakh to Sri Lanka, and 50,000 to Seychelles. India is supplying AstraZeneca-Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine that is being manufactured in the country at Serum Institute of India's facility in Pune. 

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Srivastava also added that India further intends to commercially supply vaccine doses to Saudi Arabia, Canada, South Africa, Mongolia, and other nations. India has already supplied commercially to Brazil, Morocco, and Bangladesh. Srivastava said that New Delhi has acted as the first responder in the region by giving away vaccine doses to its neighbours and will continue to do so in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement that India sees global cooperation in the fight against the pandemic. 

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(With inputs from ANI, Image Credit: @MEAIndia/twitter)