GENEVA (AP) – France on Friday became the first rich country to donate coronavirus vaccines from its domestic supplies to a poor nation through the UN-sponsored program for low- and middle-income countries, shipping more than 100,000. dose to Mauritania.
COVAX program leaders praised the French donation, announced by President Emmanuel Macron, and called on other wealthy countries to follow suit at a time of intense competition for scarce vaccine supplies as contagion numbers soar.
“Generally, we have the means to accelerate our solidarity by donating vaccines,” Macron said at a WHO event announcing the donation to COVAX. “These AstraXZeneca vaccines are currently on their way to West Africa.”
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which helps administer COVAX, praised the first shipment provided free to the program, representing 105,600 doses for Mauritania. He said France “will increase its commitment (to COVAX) to at least 5% of its total doses by the end of 2021.”
Macron said France will donate at least 500,000 doses to the program by mid-June and the total could reach 13 million by the end of the year, officials said.
World leaders, WHO officials, business executives and heads of non-governmental groups marked the first anniversary of the “ACT Accelerator”, a comprehensive program to provide diagnostic tools, therapy and vaccines against COVID-19 around the world.
The program faces a shortfall of $ 19 billion in funding, and officials noted that treatments such as the steroid dexamethasone, oxygen equipment and personal protection are in short supply in many countries where they are needed to combat the pandemic.
COVAX, the vaccination mainstay of ACT-A, is a relatively well-funded section of the program.
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