COVAX should be adjusted to nature of COVID to increase countries’ capacity: Dr. Lia Tadesse

Addis Ababa, September 26, 2022 (FBC) – Ethiopian Health Minister and Co-chair of COVAX, Lia Tadesse Gebre-Medhin (PhD), stated that the structure of COVAX should be adjusted to the nature of the COVID pandemic in order to increase the capacity of countries to prepare for other potential pandemics.

Dr. Lia Tadesse Gebre-Medhin and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi discussed the developments in global COVID-19 vaccination, on the sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly session, in New York.

Dr Lia Tadesse highlighted that COVAX should be allocated to the developments of the pandemic.

She said this adjustment helps to enhance the ability of nations to prepare for other potential pandemics.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) cooperation program could play its role in strengthening the capacity of developing countries and the global health architecture in the future, Indonesian FM, Marsudi remarked.

The two ministers agreed that, in future, COVAX should continue to work with WHO as well as ensure countries have the necessary resources to accelerate and develop their national health strategies.

Dr. Lia and the Indonesian FM along with the Canadian Minister of International Development are the Co-Chairs of the COVAX Advance Market Commitment Engagement Group (AMC-EG).

To date, at least 1.84 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been delivered by COVAX to various countries through multilateral channels.

A total of 79 countries have achieved the vaccination target of at least 70 percent, including Indonesia.