G20 nations vow to boost vax supply in developing countries

Underlining that vaccines are among the most important tools against the pandemic, G20 leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday vowed to take steps to boost its supply in developing nations and remove relevant supply as well as financing constraints for advancing toward the global goal of vaccinating at least 40 per cent of the population in all countries by the end of 2021 and 70 per cent by mid-2022. 

In the Rome Declaration, the G20 leaders thanked healthcare and frontline workers, international organisations and scientists for their relentless efforts to cope with the deadly pandemic. “Recognising that vaccines are among the most important tools against the pandemic, and reaffirming that extensive COVID-19 immunization is a global public good, we will advance our efforts to ensure timely, equitable and universal access to safe, affordable, quality and effective vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, with particular regard to the needs of low- and middle-income countries,” the G20 nations said in their declaration at the Summit here. 

They also committed to achieving food security and adequate nutrition for all, leaving no one behind. The G20 nations, including India, also committed to strengthen actions to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The declaration said the leaders also agreed to endeavour to restart international travel in a safe and orderly manner. “We look forward to meeting again in Indonesia in 2022, in India in 2023 and in Brazil in 2024,” the G20 said.