Bill Gates says world needs India's help for large-scale COVID-19 vaccine production

Bill Gates, the principal founder of Microsoft Corp., said that India is a leading vaccine producer and its cooperation is needed for manufacturing COVID-19 vaccine on a large scale. Gates told PTI he is quite optimistic that several coronavirus vaccines will be in the final stage by the first quarter of 2021, adding that the production of the vaccine in India will be in “fairly big volume”. 

“All of us want to get a vaccine out in India as fast as we can, once we know that it's very effective and very safe,” he added.

Speaking on India’s role in vaccine development and manufacturing, Gates said that the world is looking towards India for sharing responsibility on behalf of developing countries. He opined that India’s willingness to play a significant role in vaccine production and providing its access to other developing countries will be a critical step in fighting the pandemic.

The remarks come soon after the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation published its fourth annual Goalkeepers Report with COVID-19 at the centre stage. The data showed how the pandemic has stopped 20 years of progress based on 18 indicators included in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“In recent years, the world has improved on every single one. This year, on the vast majority, we’ve regressed,” wrote Bill and Melinda Gates.

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Call for cooperation

The duo, however, said that the response to the pandemic has shown us some of the best of humanity with pathbreaking innovation, heroic acts by frontline workers, and contribution from ordinary towards their families, neighbours, and communities. They stressed that all countries must work together to end the pandemic and begin rebuilding economies. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated millions of dollars for coronavirus vaccine and treatment research programmes. 

“Researchers are very close to developing safe, effective coronavirus vaccines, but breakthrough science must be met by breakthrough generosity. We need leaders in government and the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that everyone, regardless of where they live, can access these vaccines,” they added.

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(With PTI inputs)