FROM EDEN BUILDING TO MOTIJHEEL

Published: 12:33 AM, 27 December 2020

https://dailyasianage.com/news/250752/equitable-distribution-of-covid-19--vaccine-in-bangladesh

Equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccine in Bangladesh

M S Siddiqui

The possibility of deliver Covid-19 vaccines to poorer countries faces a "very high" risk of failure, as reported in the media. A failure may leave billions of people out of reach at an affordable price until as late as 2024 unless there is financial support and well regulated supply plan. About 2 billion doses of vaccines are estimated to be needed globally by the end of 2021. There is a noble initiative to support the poorer nations. The organizations, including Amnesty International, Frontline AIDS, Global Justice Now and Oxfam, who are part of an alliance calling for a People’s Vaccine. The People's Vaccine Alliance is a coalition of global and national organizations and activists united under a common aim of campaigning for a ‘People’s Vaccine’. Oxfam estimated that nearly 70 poor countries will only be able to vaccinate one in ten people against Covid-19 unless action is taken by governments and the pharmaceutical industry to make sure enough doses are produced. Billions of people around the world will not receive a safe and effective vaccine for Covid-19 for years to come. WHO and Gavi, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is the Vaccine Alliance has start working to find out modalities of Covax for procurement and incentivising differential market access for high and low-and middle-income countries. Covax is one of three pillars of the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, which was launched in April 2020 by the WHO, the European Commission and France in response to this pandemic. With more than 180 countries and economies now involved in the Covax Facility, the world recognises that our the hope of ending the acute phase of this pandemic and the only truly global solution is Covax. Covax has so far reached non-binding supply agreements with AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi for a total of 400 million doses, with options to order several hundred million additional shots. These three companies have all faced delays in their trials that could push back some possible regulatory approvals to the second half of 2021 or later. World leaders have pledged sufficient financial support to Gavi for financing the procurement of vaccine for poor countries. The pledges were made at the Global Vaccine Summit 2020, in June 2020 hosted by UK’s Prime Minister. Representatives from 52 countries, including 35 Heads of

State, joined leaders from global health organisations, the private sector, vaccine manufacturers and civil society organisations to support the Vaccine Alliance’s work protecting almost half the world’s children against deadly, preventable infectious diseases. It will brings together public and private sectors with the shared goal of creating equal access to vaccines. Gavi has observer status at the World Health Assembly. Covax vaccines is the pillar of the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. It is also the only way to ensure that people in all countries get rapid, fair and equitable access once safe and effective vaccines become licensed. Bangladesh hopefully will get 68 million doses of vaccine for at least 20% of its population from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, under the global arrangement called Covax facility by 2021. Every person will get two doses of the vaccine. Bangladesh will have to pay out the Gavi-Covax vaccine price in a co-financing manner while the cost for each shot of the vaccine from the Gavi arrangement has been estimated at $1.60 to $2 per vaccine.The Bangladesh health directorate agreed to submit the National Vaccine Deployment Plan on Covid-19 vaccination as per conditions set by Gavi to get priority to receive the vaccine supply on priority basis. Gavi-Covax will be made between December 2020 and March 2021. The first vaccine shipment will arrive between February and June 2021. Bangladesh sent an official Expression of Interest to Gavi on 9 July and the Vaccine Alliance accepted it on 14 July. Covax will first give 3% vaccine, then 8%, then 11-20%. Maybe after this 20% vaccine, more can be bought through Gavi when it is needed. Bangladesh have plans to buy 21- 40% and 41- 60% vaccines through Gavi to 130 million people. In addition to the Gavi vaccine, Bangladesh is buying vaccines directly through the Serum Institute of India. Some 30 million doses have been secured. The vaccine will reach 1.5 crore people or 9% of the population. Beximco will import vaccine @$4 / unit and sell to government at $5. They will get $1 per dose from the government for the vaccine import, preservation and management costs. Bangladesh was in dilemma of participating in human trial of Chinese vaccine in Bangladesh. It has abruptly postponed the trial of the Chine Sinovac vaccine but the attitude of China is still positive to provide vaccine. There is initiatives to import Russian Sputnik-V vaccine, Sanofi, Pfizer so that if there is ever an emergency in the future Bangladesh can get a vaccine. The government yet to decide about local Bangla vaccine in process of trial in Bangladesh. According a Bangladesh draft policy, few groups and professionals will get priority for vaccinating. They are the people aged sixty and above, which includes residents of old homes and religious leaders, government sector and private sector health workers. Another group is the health management and support workers, including employees of various government and private hospitals. Besides them, Police personnel will get the shots, with a priority on traffic police officials. Among others are Bangladesh Army, journalists, civil surgeons, deputy commissioners, and ministry officials. The Freedom Fighters get priority as well. Moreover, 70,000 public representatives including members of Parliament, chairpersons and members of Upazila and Union Parishads. Depending on the further availability of the vaccine shots, gradually be distributed to immuno-compromised, suffering from chronic diseases, teaching professionals, and public transportation workers. Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN in a recent international meeting has highlighted the need for making the Covid-19 vaccines available, affordable and distributing those equitably to all countries that need those most. The distribution of the vaccine within Bangladesh also must be equitable and fair. The developed countries should waive the Intellectual Property Rights and share the necessary technology for production of vaccine in many other countries on priority basis to prevent a recurrence. The entire population of the world

need to vaccine for prevent the pandemic and recover together. The writer is a legal economist. Email: mssiddiqui2035@gmail.com