India supplied 235 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to 98 countries: Niti Aayog

iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-

The vice-chairman of India’s top government think tank said in New York Thursday that India has thus far supplied over 235 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to 98 countries as part of its Vaccine Maitri (Vaccine Friendship) initiative.

Dr Suman K Berry was addressing a ministerial round-table in New York. He said India vaccine manufacturing ecosystem has resulted in the world’s most extensive free vaccination program with over 1.98 billion doses administered.

India launched the Vaccine Maitri program in January 2021, less than a week after it launched its own domestic vaccination initiative. It was a diplomatic effort to gift and supply made-in-India vaccines to low-income and developing countries globally.

Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Morocco, South Africa, Afghanistan, Mexico, DR Congo, Nigeria, United Kingdom, and many other countries were among some of the beneficiaries of the Vaccine Maitri initiative. Bhutan and Maldives were the first countries to receive vaccines as a grant from India.