INDIA
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, India reaffirmed its position as the pharma capital of the world by sending medicines to 150 countries.
Iran has requested COVID vaccines from India. This comes even as local media in Iran on Wednesday reported that authorities in the country have given approval for use of AstraZeneca-Oxford and Bharat Biotech vaccines. Iran joins over 20 countries to request India for vaccines.
India has so far supplied over 229.7 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the global community. Of these, over 64 lakh doses have been supplied as grants while over 165 lakh doses have been supplied on a commercial basis.
Last week in response to a question, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "We will continue to take forward the global vaccine supply initiative and cover more countries in a phased manner."
In west Asia, India has already supplied vaccines to Bahrain and Oman as a gift with one lakh doses, and Egypt (50,000), Kuwait (two lakhs), and UAE (two lakhs) on a commercial basis.
In fact, India has gifted vaccines to its entire neighbourhood. It has given vaccines to Bangladesh (20 lakhs), Myanmar (17 lakhs), Nepal (10 lakhs), Bhutan (1.5 lakhs), Maldives (one lakh), Mauritius (one lakh), Seychelles (50,000), Sri Lanka ( five lakhs), Afghanistan (five lakhs).
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, India reaffirmed its position as the pharma capital of the world by sending medicines to 150 countries.