With the COVID-19 pandemic exposing the acute inequity in vaccine development and access, the Indian government is working in partnership with two leading global non-profits to convene and build consensus among the G-20 member States and others, for a proposed Global Vaccine Research Collaborative.
“International cooperation is essential to advance vaccine development for emerging pathogens, and the G-20 can serve as a vital platform to facilitate collaboration between governments, research organisations, pharmaceutical companies, and other stakeholders,” Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday, addressing an event organised by the Pharmaceuticals Department on the sidelines of the third meeting of the G-20 Health Working Group, one of the events under India’s G-20 presidency.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals is working with Seattle-based non-profit Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), whose founders include the Indian and Norwegian governments as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in a bid to build consensus for the proposed Collaborative not just among G-20 nations, but the special invitee countries as well.
