 "Quad vows to strengthen global health architecture and get ahead of virus")
The Quad leaders on Tuesday committed to getting ahead of the virus by strengthening the global health architecture, including by enhancing finance and bolstering ongoing science and technology cooperation.
On March 21 last year, the Quad countries announced 'the Quad vaccine partnership' at the first summit of the four-nation grouping.
The Quad countries have led and will continue to lead global efforts for COVID-19 response, with a view to building better health security and strengthening health systems, according to a joint statement issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australia's newly-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
"We commit to adapt our collective approaches to get ahead of the virus with a focus on preparing for new variants, and getting vaccines, tests, treatments, and other medical products to those at highest risk," it said.
To date, the Quad partners have collectively pledged approximately USD 5.2 billion to the COVAX AMC, approximately 40 per cent of the total contributions from government donors, it said.
"We are proud to have delivered over 670 million doses, including at least 265 million doses to the Indo-Pacific. Noting significant expansion in the global supply of COVID-19 vaccines, we will continue to share safe, effective, affordable and quality-assured COVID-19 vaccines where and when they are needed," the statement said.
The Quad countries welcome the progress on the expansion of J&J vaccine production at the Biological E facility in India under the Quad Vaccine Partnership sustainable manufacturing capacity will yield long-term benefits in the fight against COVID-19 and future pandemics, it said.
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For this, "we look forward to the grant of WHO's EUL approvals regarding the aforementioned vaccines in India. We celebrate the donation by the Quad to Cambodia and Thailand of WHO approved Made in India vaccines, together with Quad members' other vaccine-related support, as an example of the tangible achievement of our collaboration," it said.
The Quad leaders will continue to address both the COVID-19 response and preparedness against future health threats and will accelerate getting shots in arms through last-mile support of which over 2 billion USD has been provided in more than 115 countries globally by our four countries, and will also address vaccine hesitancy through a Quad-convened event this week at the World Health Assembly.
"We will coordinate our efforts including through the "COVID-19 Prioritised Global Action Plan for Enhanced Engagement (GAP), and COVAX Vaccine Delivery Partnership. We welcome the successful 2nd Global COVID-19 Summit co-hosted by the United States and joined by the Quad members, which galvanised $3.2 billion in financial and policy commitments. We will strengthen support for economic and social revitalisation in the Indo-Pacific region," it added.
In the long term, the four leaders said they will strengthen the global health architecture and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) to build better health security, including by enhancing finance and health coordination and bolstering ongoing science and technology cooperation, such as through clinical trials and genomic surveillance, the statement said.
For the development of new vaccines to prevent and contain infectious diseases, Quad partners have collectively committed $524 million to the next phase of CEPI's work, accounting for about 50 per cent of the total public investors.
The four leaders commit, as members of the Group of Friends of UHC, to take global leadership to further strengthen and reform the global health architecture for enhancing PPR and promoting UHC in the lead up to the UN High-Level Meeting on UHC to be held in 2023.
The Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia. The Quad summit in Tokyo was hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida.
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