Island donates £85k to Unicef’s Covax scheme
GUERNSEY is ‘paying forward’ its contribution to vaccination costs by donating money to enable 60,000 people in low and middle-income countries to get their jab.
The Guernsey Overseas Aid & Development Commission is donating £85,000 to Unicef UK as part of the Covax initiative to help ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines around the world.
It will allow the equivalent number of people to the Guernsey population to receive one Covid-19 vaccine.
Guernsey’s vaccines have been paid for by the UK government.
OA&DC president Chris Blin said he was hugely impressed by the rollout of Covid-19 vaccinations in Guernsey.
‘But at the same time I realise that there are millions of people around the world in poorer countries who will not have the same opportunity as Guernsey residents to be vaccinated unless more affluent jurisdictions assist,’ he said.
‘Guernsey itself has been helped by the United Kingdom through the supply of vaccines and it is only right that the island also plays its own part in this global community initiative.
‘You only have to look at the recent devastating scenes in India to know how important this is. Although in time it may become a well-worn phrase, it still holds true that “no one is safe until everyone is safe”. A donation based on the equivalent of a single vaccine for each member of the Guernsey population will be a fitting contribution to this.’
Unicef is the largest buyer and distributor of vaccines in the world and has secured two billion vaccines.
It is the main organisation responsible for Covax end-to-end supply chain engagement, which involves working with manufacturers and partners on the procurement of Covid-19 vaccine doses, as well as international freight, logistics, delivery and in-country readiness for 92 low- and lower middle-income countries.
Covax has faced some challenges, with richer countries focusing on vaccinating their own populations first. More than 160 countries have joined Covax, but as of April only 38.5m. doses had been given, despite a goal of 100m. by the end of March.
The vast majority of recipient countries are in Africa, but other poorer countries across the world will also get support.
It is estimated one-and-a-half billion doses of vaccine have now been given across the world.
