Minister of Public Health: Qatar supports the COVAX facility to accelerate global access to COVID-19 vaccines
Qatar participated today in the GAVI-COVAX Summit co-hosted by Japan and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), under the theme "One Protected World".
Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, represented the State of Qatar at the summit via videoconferencing.
The summit aims to strengthen international cooperation to secure the necessary funding for the COVID-19 vaccination program and accelerate access to effective and safe vaccines for lower-income countries.
Addressing the summit, Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari stressed Qatar's support for the COVAX facility to accelerate global access to COVID19 vaccines.
HE Dr. Hanan Al Kuwari said, "We stress the importance of adhering to the political declaration on COVID-19 vaccines to ensure that all countries have access to vaccines in a comprehensive, equitable, affordable, and timely manner.
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Qatar provided aids to over 80 countries severely impacted by the pandemic since last year. At the June 2020 Global Vaccine Summit held in London, His Highness Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani announced Qatar’s contribution of $20 million to the GAVI.
A core contribution agreement has followed this announcement, in which $10 million is donated to WHO to support WHO’s Thirteenth General Program of Work (GPW13) and the initiative of accelerating the access to COVID-19 tools in countries most in need.
This donation makes Qatar one of only four countries that have donated unearmarked funds to WHO, in line with recent recommendation for flexible donations.
We also take pride in Qatar Red Crescent's initiative, in collaboration with the WHO, which aims to allocate its charitable donations to provide (COVID-19) vaccines to refugees, displaced persons, and migrants around the world. The initiative was launched April 2021 and will run for three years.”
HE Dr. Hanan Al Kuwari highlighted the prominent role Qatar Airways plays in transporting COVID-19 vaccines and other vital supplies to impacted regions and communities worldwide.
In this regard, Qatar Airways Cargo has delivered 27 million COVID-19 vaccines as of early April 2021, including COVID-19 vaccines for UNICEF as part of the five-year MoU to support UNICEF’s Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative.
"It has become clear that putting an end to this pandemic requires effective international solidarity and shared responsibility. Qatar affirms its commitment to supporting the efforts of the international community to ensure all countries, including lower-income countries, have equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
World health security requires joint international action to combat the health challenges that threaten us all. Let's indeed come together for ‘one world protected’, leaving no one behind,” concluded HE Dr. Hanan Al Kuwari.
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