Statement by India under Panel II - Global cooperation and measures to improve the universal access to health as a fundamental human right during Full-day Intersessional Seminar on Good Practices, Key Challenges and New Developments relevant to Access to Medicines and Vaccines delivered by Ms. Seema Pujani, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of India

(Geneva, 08 December 2021)

Thank you, Madam Moderator.

My delegation welcomes the organisation of this seminar and the panellists’ remarks. As a member of the core group of resolution 41/10 on ‘Access to medicines and vaccines in the context of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health’, we are of the view that this discussion is timely and extremely significant.

Since its outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 5 million deaths around the world. While the global human rights’ agenda has suffered setbacks, its unprecedented socio-economic impact has been disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable segments of our societies, especially in developing countries.

From the very beginning, India has believed that the pandemic poses threats to the entire humanity and that the international community should respond collectively to it. India, committed to the welfare of entire humanity, has supplied COVID-19 related medical and other assistance to over 150 countries. Since January 2021, over 94 million doses of COVID vaccines have been supplied to 94 countries and 2 UN entities in the form of grant, through commercial export or the COVAX facility. We are grateful to the countries which extended much needed support to us during the second wave of the pandemic. India has been strongly advocating for the principle of equity in the WHO, including in the recently concluded Special Session of the World Health Assembly, and has also proposed, along with South Africa, a TRIPS waiver at the WTO for COVID vaccines, diagnostics and medicines. We are also working with our QUAD partners to supply vaccines in the Indo-Pacific region. India is gearing up to produce 5 billion vaccine doses for the world next year. By fully vaccinating over 50% of our eligible population, we have contributed to the global action against the pandemic and vaccine inequity. We have also made our Co-WIN software platform open source for all countries to access, adapt and use.

In order that we truly ‘leave no one behind’, we must ensure timely and affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines and other therapeutics. On its part, India will continue to contribute to this goal.

I thank you, Madam Moderator.