UNICEF India welcomes one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered in India
STATEMENT
BY DR YASMIN ALI HAQUE, UNICEF INDIA REPRESENTATIVE
“UNICEF India
congratulates the Government of India on reaching the milestone of 1 billion
doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered so far. We welcome the strides that
India has made in recent months to ramp up vaccinations.
“This
is a tremendous achievement, given the logistical complexity of administering 1
billion doses in less than a year, in a country as vast and diverse as India.
As Indian families recover from the recent devastating COVID-19 wave, for many
this milestone means hope.
“Over
the last few months, we have seen health workers working round-the-clock to
accelerate vaccination coverage in every part of the country. Many traveled
across difficult terrains to vaccinate people, including in the most remote and
hard-to-reach areas. We salute the commitment and hard work of every one of
these health workers. Without them, and the dedication of the scientists,
doctors, manufacturers, policy makers and health managers, we would not have
been able to achieve this milestone.
“UNICEF
has supported these efforts by procuring and supplying over 4,195 pieces of
electrical cold chain equipment,including walk-in coolers, freezers, ice lined
refrigerators, and deep freezers. We also supplied more than 420,000 pieces of
cold chain boxes and vaccine carriers.
“As
part of the Risk Communication and Community Engagement response, UNICEF
continues to actively support the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through
national communication campaigns to promote behaviours to prevent COVID-19 and
speed up India’s vaccine drive. We have reinforced efforts to create awareness
about COVID-19 vaccinations and promote its uptake among people. Real time
media monitoring is used to counter misinformation and fake news. Easy,
positive messages and compelling audiovisual materials help to disseminate
accurate information in time.
“We
are in the process of procuring millions of syringes and other equipment as per
the needs of the Government of India.
“We
also welcome India’s decision to resume COVID-19 vaccine exports. This is very
encouraging news for countries that need to urgently fast-track their
vaccination campaigns to priority groups, especially health workers and
frontline workers.
“We
particularly look forward to hearing details about the expected timeline and
volumes of supplies to be made available by the Government of India to the
COVAX Facility.
“UNICEF,
along with the Government of India, can assist other nations to expand their
COVID-19 vaccination drives by providing training and guidance, and help
countries in preparing for efficient roll outs.
“Now
more than ever, we need greater solidarity to expand vaccine coverage across
South Asia and the world. We welcome this step by India and call on
well-supplied countries to donate surplus doses to low and middle-income
countries to expand vaccine coverage.
“Low-
and middle-income countries need access to COVID-19 vaccines as soon as
possible. According to the World Health Organization, high-income countries
have administered 35 times more vaccine doses than low-income countries.
“Everyone
wins if we can vaccinate the most vulnerable groups around the world first and
foremost.”