G7 Plans New Vaccine Program for Growing Nations -Yomiuri

TOKYO (Reuters) – The Group of Seven (G7) wealthy nations is about to agree on establishing a brand new program to distribute vaccines to growing international locations at subsequent week’s summit of leaders, Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper stated on Saturday.

Along with the G7, G20 nations comparable to India and worldwide teams such because the World Well being Group (WHO) and the World Financial institution will take part, it added, citing Japanese authorities sources.

In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVAX facility, backed by WHO and the International Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), delivered almost 2 billion doses of coronavirus vaccine to rising international locations.

Nevertheless, COVAX confronted setbacks in guaranteeing equitable entry, as rich nations prioritised pictures for his or her residents whereas inadequate storage services in poorer nations induced provide delays and disposal of thousands and thousands of close-to-expiry doses.

The brand new program goals to pool rainy-day funds for vaccine manufacturing and purchases, in addition to funding in low-temperature storages and coaching of well being employees to arrange for the following international pandemic, the paper stated.

Japan, this 12 months’s chair of the G7 conferences, appears to be like to construct help from rising nations on wide-ranging points comparable to provide chains, meals safety and local weather change to counter the rising affect of China and Russia.

Saturday’s assembly of G7 finance ministers agreed to supply assist to low- and middle-income international locations to assist improve their position in provide chains for energy-related merchandise.

The G7 grouping of Britain, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US, is contemplating whether or not to situation an announcement on international pandemic response on the Might 19-21 summit in Japan’s metropolis of Hiroshima, the Yomiuri stated.

Particulars of the brand new vaccine program are to be mentioned on the G20 Summit in India in September, it added.

(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Modifying by Clarence Fernandez)

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