The UAE has asserted the need for global cooperation in speeding up the distribution of COVID-19.
Speaking at an international forum hosted by China, Her Excellency Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation, said the UAE is determined to ensure rapid distribution of vaccines to boost global immunity.
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The forum held a video conference with representatives from over 20 countries aiming to link countries that develop and produce vaccines with companies and other stakeholders to promote the equitable distribution of vaccines worldwide.
As per the Our World in Data website’s statistics 29.6 percent of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine and 15.2 percent is fully vaccinated.
Al Hashemy said the UAE remains at the forefront of global efforts to combat the pandemic and has utilized its advanced logistical capabilities and transportation facilities and services to help expedite the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines around the world. She said through storage and handling facilities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and in close cooperation with Etihad Airways and Emirates Airlines they are geographically covering nearly 3.6 billion people around the world.
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The Minister said that the Hope Consortium initiative has provided nearly 65 million vaccine doses to 40 countries and recently the UAE announced a donation of $50 million to the COVAX initiative to facilitate vaccine transport and delivery around the world.
As of now more than 2,200 tonnes of medical supplies have been dispatched to more than 135 countries, she said. (AW)
