COVID-19 response: WHO chief thanks Narendra Modi for 'continued support'

GENEVA: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "continued support" to the global COVID-19 response.

India's 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative is providing vaccines to its neighbouring countries.

"Thank you India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for your continued support to the global COVID-19 response. Only if we act together, including sharing of knowledge, can we stop this virus and save lives and livelihoods," said the WHO chief in a tweet.

Brazilian President Jair M. Bolsonaro also thanked Modi for dispatching two million doses of India-made Coronavirus vaccines to Brazil.

India dispatched two million doses of Covishield vaccine to Brazil on Friday. Covishield has been developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII).

Meanwhile, 92 countries have approached India for COVID-19 vaccines, including Brazil, which currently accounts for the third highest Coronavirus caseload in the world and the second largest death toll.

Besides Covishield, India has also granted emergency use authorisation to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

India this week also announced it would supply COVID-19 vaccines under grant assistance to Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles.

"Vaccines are giving us all hope of overcoming COVID-19, but ending the pandemic everywhere will require every Member State, every partner, and every vaccine producer to be on board and act together," said the WHO chief in another tweet. (IANS)

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