Indian pharma industry capable of producing COVID-19 vaccines for entire world: Bill Gates

India's pharmaceutical industry will be able to produce COVID-19 vaccines t just for country but also for entire world, according to Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates. A lot of "very important things have been done" in India and its pharma industry is doing work "to help make coronavirus vaccine building on or great capacities that y have used for or diseases", said Co-Chair and Trustee of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Speaking in a documentary - COVID-19: India's War Against Virus to be premiered on Discovery Plus this (Thursday) evening, Gates said India also faces a huge challenge due to health crisis because of its gigantic size and urban centres with a lot of population density.

Commenting on strength of India's pharma industry, he said, "India has a lot of capacity re with drug and vaccine companies that are huge suppliers to entire world. You kw, more vaccines are made in India than anywhere starting with Serum Institute, that's largest."

He furr said, "But (re are) also Bio E, Bharat (Biotech), many ors. y are doing work to help make coronavirus vaccine, building on or great capacities that y have used for or diseases."

Stating that India joined Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Invations (CEPI), which is a group working on a global basis to build vaccines platforms, Gates said, "I am excited that pharmaceutical industry re will be able to produce t just for India but also for entire world. (This is) What we need to reduce deaths and make sure we are immune, which is how we end epidemic."

Gates said Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is also a "partner with government, particularly with department of biotechlogy, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and office of principal scientific advisor provide advice and help about getting se tools going". Commenting on deadly virus breaching India's borders in documentary which was shot extensively during period of lockdown, he said, "India is still at beginning of this, but re's a lot of very important things have been done.

“It's a huge challenge with India because you've got a gigantic country. You've got your urban centers with a lot of density and so that drives spread. You have people moving around."

He, however, added: "Yet people are stepping up... Looking at how we reduce spread while trying t to reduce food availability, equipment that people need."

Highlighting Gates foundation's role, he said it has "worked for Indian government on health issues like introducing new vaccines over last decade; and so when COVID-19 came along, we stepped in and said you kw where are gaps, we have been funding work on detection and isolation.

“We have been particularly active in UP and Bihar where we have done health delivery in past." foundation is also working with department of personnel and training to take ir online training platforms and "are w using that guidance to help ir frontline health workers", Gates said.