Myanmar after Bangladesh to procure COVID-19 vaccines from India

New Delhi: Myanmar has decided to purchase the Covid-19 vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII), becoming the second country in the neighbourhood after Bangladesh to do so, as part of efforts to reduce its dependence on China.India’s high commissioner to Myanmar, Saurabh Kumar, met Myanmar’s health minister U Myint Htwe last week to discuss the issue of purchase of vaccines from SII, said people aware of the matter.Myanmar plans to start providing Covid-19 vaccines for about 20 per cent of its 54.4 million population next April and is also discussing with India the logistics of administering the vaccine, the people said, adding that Kumar held a separate meeting on the logistics of administering the vaccine.The Myanmar government has negotiated with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure more than $950 million to fund the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines.Unlike some countries, which have preferred to only administer Chinese vaccines, Myanmar has decided to purchase vaccines from India, USA, UK, Russia and China.As of last Thursday, Myanmar has reported 118,869 Covid-19 cases, with 2,507 deaths and 99,325 recoveries. Since December 19, it has seen fewer than 1,000 new cases daily, down from more than 1,400 new cases per day earlier.During his visit to Myanmar in October, foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla held extensive discussions on ways to mitigate Covid-19 impact, including through vaccine development, supply of medicines, equipment and technology and capacity building.“Myanmar is a country of special importance to us as it stands at the confluence of our ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act East’ policies,” Shringla had said on the occasion. “We are meeting in exceptional times that have thrown up challenges but also avenues and opportunities to collaborate in divergent and multifaceted areas. India is prepared to continue to extend all possible support to Myanmar in mitigating the health and economic impact of Covid-19... With respect to the Covid vaccine, we stand committed to sharing our capabilities with our strategic partners, including Myanmar, in our collective best interest.”Earlier Bangladesh had concluded a pact with the SII for procuring Covid-19 vaccines. Bangladesh’s Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BPL) will invest with SII in an effort to bring out an approved vaccine for Covid-19. BPL will be the exclusive distributor of the SII for Covid-19 vaccine in Bangladesh. The investment amount will be treated as an advance, and once the vaccine receives regulatory approvals, the SII will include Bangladesh among the countries that will be among the first few to receive an agreed quantity on a priority basis, it was decided.

from Economic Times https://ift.tt/3aKHvvo