Private sector to raise $ 50 m to procure COVID vaccine

The private sector has come forward to raise $ 50 million in support of the Government’s COVID-19 vaccination procurement drive. 

The pledge of $ 50 million (nearly Rs. 10 billion) was made recently, and a committee of business leaders have been appointed to spearhead this initiative. 

Several companies in sectors such as apparel, exports, manufacturing, services and IT are to be encouraged to contribute to this fundraiser. 

The Cabinet last week took further steps towards securing the COVID-19 vaccines via the WHO-endorsed global initiative COVAX, which has assured immunisation for 20% of the population. 

However, so far the Government has not made any commitment to secure doses of currently used vaccinations, such as by Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, and China’s Sinopharm, which are being used or ordered globally. According to the WHO, there are currently over 50 COVID-19 vaccine candidates in trials.