Islamabad
Pakistan on Friday joined the United Nations’ new campaign to ensure the availability of COVID-19 vaccines everywhere and everyone.
Pakistan Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram said in his tweet that it is vital to control the pandemic for quick recovery of the virus-hit world economy.
In another tweet, Ambassador Akram added: ‘We must fully support the COVAX Facility by funding the 20B shortfall.’
COVAX is a global initiative intended to secure equitable access to vaccines and is led by the World Health Organization, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, among others.
On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said called on the world community to join hands and vaccines must be considered a global public good.
‘COVID-19 vaccines must be considered a global public good. No country can overcome this crisis in isolation.
Governments and businesses must share doses and technology,’ the UN chief said in his in a video message arlier last month, the UN issued a statement stating the names of countries receiving doses in proportion to the size of the population.
The most will go to India (97.2 million), followed by Pakistan (17.2 million), Nigeria (16 million), Indonesia (13.7 million), Bangladesh (12.8 million), Brazil (10.6 million), Kenya (4.2 million), Sudan (3.4 million) Yemen (2.3 million) and Syria (1.02 million).
COVAX was set to ensure an equitable distribution of vaccines to countries and people in need, the statement added.
The United Nations Children’s Fund Pakistan (UNICEF) required US$ 52.53 million to sustain provision of life-saving services for women and children in the country.
As of 31 December 2020, the country has received US$ 13.65 million (23.77 per cent) of financial requirements and faced a critical gap of US$ 40.05 million (76.23 per cent) to provide health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education services including psychosocial support to the women and children in the response areas, said a UNICEF Pakistan document.
The US$ 13.65 million received by the office comprised of: US$ 3.38 million of humanitarian resources received during the year; US$1.67 million humanitarian funds carried over from 2019 and US$ 8.60 million of UNICEF’s Regular Resources as well as Other Resources received from the United Kingdom for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province’s Newly Merged Districts (NMDs) which contributed significantly to the results, UNICEF document revealed.
UNICEF expressed its sincere gratitude to CERF Secretariat, United States, United Kingdom and all public and private sector donors for the contributions received for the humanitarian action, UNICEF Pakistan said.
