COVID vaccines pillar COVAX to wind down by year-end left with billions unspent

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Health

Context:

COVAX mechanism, a worldwide initiative launched in April 2020 to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines is coming to an end from Dec 31, 2023.

COVAX mechanism:

It was launched to make the vaccines available equitably and, more importantly, to low-income countries that otherwise would not be able to afford them.
The vaccine distribution will shift to regular immunisation programmes.
It was initiated by the GAVI–the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
COVAX is one of three pillars of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.
- This ACT Accelerator aimed to bring together governments, global health organisations, manufacturers, scientists, the private sector, civil society and philanthropy with the goal of providing innovative and equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines.
It helped lower-income countries achieve 57 per cent two-dose coverage, compared to the 67 per cent global average.
The unspent funds of COVAX will be used by GAVI.
Burundi in east Africa received the least number of vaccinations, with 0.32 per cent of its population receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Yemen (3.85 per cent), Haiti (5.73 per cent), Papua New Guinea (7.27 per cent), Madagascar (10.44 per cent) and the Republic of the Congo (13.93 per cent) were some of the other countries with the least number of vaccinations.

About Gloval Vaccine Alliance (GAVI):

Founded in 2000, it aims to improve access to vaccines in the world’s poorest countries.
It operates through collaborations with governments, WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank, vaccine manufacturers, and philanthropic foundations.
Mission: Its core goal is to save lives, reduce poverty, and protect against epidemics by enhancing vaccine access in lower-income nations.
Financial Mechanism: Utilizes a financing model to provide affordable vaccines and support healthcare systems in recipient countries.
Impact: Contributed significantly to increasing vaccination rates, reducing child mortality, and preventing the spread of diseases in developing nations.
COVID-19 Role: Played a pivotal role in COVAX, ensuring equitable COVID-19 vaccine access globally, particularly for low- and middle-income countries.

CEPI:

It was established in 2017 to develop vaccines against emerging infectious diseases and epidemics.
Core Mission: Aims to proactively tackle global health threats by accelerating vaccine development and ensuring equitable access to vaccines during outbreaks.
It works in partnership with public, private, philanthropic, and civil society sectors, collaborating with organizations like WHO and Gavi.