The South Asian region, with a population of about two billion, is facing the worst health crisis ever. Coronavirus infections have intensified in India and neighboring countries. Health experts say there is no substitute for widespread vaccination to prevent corona. South Asia, however, had an added advantage. Because India is the largest vaccine producer in the world. As such, India had signed agreements to export various quantities of vaccines to many countries in the world, including South Asian countries. India started exporting the vaccine to neighboring countries first as a gift and later as per the agreement. But when India is plagued by corona in its own home, it fails to deliver on its promise of vaccines.
A report in the Associated Press (AP) on Saturday said critics were blaming India for the slow, erroneous immunization program in their country.
Countries like Nepal and Bangladesh have started turning to China to fill their vaccine deficits. "India says it is optimistic about resumption of vaccine exports," said the AP's report. Binod Kumar Pal was interviewed. Dr. Vinod said India would start exporting the vaccine only after a significant number of people in the country were vaccinated as a matter of urgency and after receiving vaccines from various sources. The issue of export is still under consideration, but it would not be right to say any date. He said India had exported a large quantity of vaccines at the beginning of the year and the issue should be recognized and respected.
Dr. Not to mention the humor. On 19 January, the Government of India announced that the vaccine would be sent to Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles as grant-in-aid from the next day, and that vaccines would be supplied to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius. India has sent millions of doses of vaccine to neighboring countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, under the Neighborhood First Policy, in the shortest possible time since launching its immunization program.
Bangladesh relied on the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. India officially handed over 20 lakh doses of vaccine to Bangladesh on January 21 as a gift. With that vaccine, the mass vaccination program started in Bangladesh on February 8. But despite an agreement to sell 30 million doses of vaccine, no vaccine came from India after Serum gave 6 million doses. As a result, Bangladesh fell into an extreme crisis. In addition to newly registered people, there is uncertainty about the second dose received by millions of people who received the first dose.
At one point (April 26), the first dose of vaccine was stopped due to lack of vaccine. In this situation, China appeared on the scene., Bangladesh On April 29 approved the emergency use of Chinese synopharma vaccine. Bangladesh has already received 11 lakh synoform vaccines (as a gift). Last Saturday, the second phase of mass vaccination started with the Chinese vaccine. Many believe that the first dose of the Oxford-Astrageneca vaccine will be given to the 1.5 million people waiting for the second dose, either in the form of Chinese synopharm or Pfizer, or both.
The situation is much the same in Nepal as in Bangladesh. According to Nepali media sources, the day (January 21) India gifted 2 million vaccines to Bangladesh; On the same day, India gave 1 million doses of vaccine to Nepal, 1.5 million doses to Bhutan and 1 lakh doses to Maldives. Despite receiving 1 million vaccines purchased from India on February 21, India could not provide the remaining 12 lakh doses of vaccines. In Nepal, those who have taken the first dose of AstraZeneca are no longer receiving the second dose. The crisis in the country is due to the delay in getting the vaccine as promised from India. Many say that Nepal is now turning to its "old friend" China for the vaccine. China has also reached out. The vaccine arrived in Nepal in March with a gift of 600,000 doses from China.
Earlier this month, Nepal received a grant of about 1 million doses of vaccine from China. According to the Kathmandu Post, Nepal is now buying 4 million synoform vaccines from China. The news about the price of the vaccine has caused a stir in the Nepali media, but it is expected that it will reach Nepal soon. It is to be noted that Nepal had given its approval to China two and a half months before the emergency use of Chinese synopharma vaccine.
The situation is the same in Sri Lanka as in Bangladesh and Nepal. On January 26, the country started the vaccination program with 500,000 vaccines donated by India. After that, Sri Lanka got 1.5 million doses of Covishield vaccine from India, but received only 5 lakh doses. Sri Lanka received 6 lakh vaccines from China in March and 5 lakh in May. The country has recently said it will buy another 14 million vaccines from China.
Meanwhile, Pakistan, known as a close ally of China, launched a vaccination program on February 2 with 500,000 synoform vaccines donated by China. On that day, Prime Minister Imran Khan thanked China for providing the vaccine. In mid-March, Pakistan received another 5 lakh doses of vaccine. On the first day of April, Pakistan received another 11 lakh doses from China. At the end of April, 5 lakh synoform vaccines came from China. Another 1 million doses arrive in mid-May. According to a report in the Khaleej Times, 9 percent of the vaccines that Pakistan received from China were received as gifts. The report also said that Pakistan has been producing Chinese (one-dose vaccine) Cancino in its country since May. Vaccination was suspended in various provinces of Pakistan on Sunday due to a shortage of vaccines. On Sunday alone, 1.5 million Sinovac vaccines arrived in Pakistan from China. The country's National Command and Operations Center (NCOC) confirmed the news, adding that another 20 or 3 million doses of Sinovac will arrive next week. Referring to China as a "time-tested friend", the NCOC said China was taking steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of vaccines to Pakistan. It is learned that the Pakistani government has planned to bring 30 million doses of Chinese synopharm and 20 million doses of synovac and carcino vaccines within this year.
China, known as the birthplace of the corona, was at the forefront of the list of countries affected by the corona, but it managed to cope with the shock and came up with vaccines in different countries of the world. On the other hand, at the beginning of the vaccine era, India, which had introduced vaccines in neighboring countries, is now plagued by corona itself. About 30 million people in the country are affected by corona and about 4 lakh people have died. The media says the actual number is much higher than the official announcement. Less than five percent of the country's population has so far received a full dose of the vaccine. In this situation, it is needless to say that South Asian countries, India's closest neighbors, will turn to China to fill their vaccine deficit.