Japan Expresses Full Support For Equitable Access To Covid-19 Vaccine

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Bernama) -- Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide expressed Japan’s full support for ensuring equitable access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for as many people as possible, with a view to achieving Universal Health Coverage guided by the principle of human security. According to the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia, Suga who co-chaired the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) Summit on Wednesday, also called for further solidarity and commitments from the international community in the fight against COVID-19. “Prime Minister Suga also explained that Japan has continuously supported the efforts by the COVAX Facility, including through its financial contribution amounting to US$200 million and announced Japan’s additional contribution of US$800 million, which brings the total contribution of US$1 billion to the COVAX Facility,” the embassy said in a statement Thursday. Suga also expressed Japan’s intention to provide, when circumstances allow and at an appropriate time, around 30 million doses of vaccines manufactured in Japan to other countries and regions, including through the COVAX Facility, it added. COVAX AMC Summit was held virtually, co-hosted by the Japanese government and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi). Suga co-chaired the meeting with Gavi Board Chair, Jose Manuel Barroso. The summit was organised to raise additional funding to secure necessary vaccines for developing countries by the end of 2021, in order to ensure equitable access to safe, effective and quality-assured vaccines through the COVAX Facility. The embassy said Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, who facilitated the summit, expressed his hope for further cooperation among countries and organisations. In particular, Motegi emphasised, during the discussion on the cooperation with partners including the private sector, Japan’s “Last One Mile Support”, which contributes to the delivery of vaccines down to the last person by leveraging Japan’s technology and strength,” the statement said. According to the statement, many additional pledges were announced by the governments and the private sectors during the summit. “As a result, we were able to secure well beyond the target of US$8.3 billion to secure 1.8 billion vaccine doses to protect nearly 30 per cent of the population in low and middle income economies,” it said. -- BERNAMA