UNICEF Wants Fair Distribution Of COVID-19 Vaccine, With New Online Dashboard

United Nations agency UNICEF has launched a Covid-19 vaccine market dashboard that will keep a track of the vaccine development as well as distribution across the world.?

The interactive tool will also keep a track of the COVAX Facility to ensure an equitable access for all nations in the world.

Covid-19 Vaccine (Representative Image: WHO)

As reported by Xinhua news agency, UNICEF on Monday reported the development of the new dashboard. As per the agency, it will provide a regularly updated overview of the global research and development going on around the vaccines. This will include the projected production capacity, bilateral and multilateral?supply agreements, as well as expected price points of the doses.

Beginning next year, the dashboard will also provide an update on the status of procurement by UNICEF and other buyers participating in the COVAX Facility. In doing so, the dashboard will even track the?status of deliveries?by UNICEF and other national and institutional buyers.

For those unaware, COVAX is a joint initiative by CEPI GAVI and WHO meant to speed up the search for an effective vaccine for all countries as well as increase the manufacturing capabilities of the same. The initiative also works towards buying supplies ahead of time so that “2 billion doses can be?fairly distributed by the end of 2021,” says WHO.

Reutters

Among the top priorities for COVAX, the involved organizations aim to provide Covid-19 vaccine doses to “at least 20% of countries' populations.” This will be done by managing a diverse portfolio of vaccines for a region and timely delivery as soon as these vaccines are available.

The idea is to end the acute phase of the pandemic as soon as possible using the vaccines, thus helping to rebuild economies across the world.

(With inputs from IANS)