Dhaka calls for reducing vaccine gap with low and middle-income countries
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Splash
    • Videos
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Sunday
August 07, 2022

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Splash
    • Videos
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
SUNDAY, AUGUST 07, 2022
Dhaka calls for reducing vaccine gap with low and middle-income countries

Bangladesh

TBS Report
12 November, 2021, 06:30 pm
Last modified: 12 November, 2021, 10:55 pm

Related News

  • WB to provide $300m to strengthen local urban institutions
  • Children aged 5-11 years to get Covid vaccine on experimental basis: Health minister
  • BCSIR develops low-priced Covid test kits
  • Biden tests negative for Covid after 'rebound' case, says his physician
  • North Korea marks end of first Covid wave, but risks persist

Dhaka calls for reducing vaccine gap with low and middle-income countries

The foreign minister recommended that the WHO convene a high level panel to make a blueprint for preventing and managing future pandemics

TBS Report
12 November, 2021, 06:30 pm
Last modified: 12 November, 2021, 10:55 pm
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen Photo: Collected
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen Photo: Collected

Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has called for a time bound action plan, supported by financing and capacity building, to address the unwarranted vaccine gap suffered by many low and middle-income countries.

He made the suggestion in presenting a five-point recommendation at the virtual Ministerial Meeting on Covid-19, convened by United States Secretary of State Antony J Blinken on 10 November, 2021.

He also recommended the World Health Organisation (WHO) convene a high level panel featuring select global leaders to devise a blueprint for preventing and managing future pandemics, ideally with gender and geographic balance, said a press release from the Embassy of Bangladesh in Paris, France.

AK Abdul Momen also urged the US and the WHO to take the lead in convening an Expert Working Group on the question of strengthening national level disease control agencies.

He also recommended supporting vaccine manufacturing capabilities in certain countries like Bangladesh in the Global South, in a meaningful manner, through appropriate interventions concerning intellectual property rights and technology transfer.

The foreign minister   also called for factoring in the relationship between pandemic outbreaks, climate change, and biodiversity loss, in global collective efforts to build back better, greener, and stronger, from the pandemic.

In his statement during the meeting, Foreign Minister Momen highlighted the fact that Bangladesh has managed to keep the fatality rate lower than the global average.

He also said that at present the infection rate in Bangladesh remains under 1%.

Contrary to some dire projections, Bangladesh managed to keep infection and death rates absolutely minimal in the congested Rohingya camps of Cox's Bazar, he added.

Foreign Minister Momen reiterated Bangladesh's demand that Covid-19 vaccines should be declared as "global public goods" to make them affordable for all countries.

He also said pharmaceutical companies, including those in Bangladesh, should be encouraged and assisted to produce Covid-19 vaccines, and said Bangladesh stands ready to contribute to global vaccine production for sharing with others.

Noting that Bangladesh has so far administered 78 million vaccine doses, with 46 million single doses and 32 million double doses, Foreign Minister Momen said the target is to vaccinate 80% of our target population group by March 2022, and for that, a continued supply of vaccines is required.

The Bangladesh foreign minister underscored the fact that no country would remain completely safe until the mutating coronavirus is brought under control in all corners of the globe, and for this there is no other option but to ensure inclusive international cooperation, leaving no one behind.

He stressed upon the necessity for strong partnership and collaboration amongst foreign ministers to step up political support in critical situations such as at present and also in the future.

US Secretary of State Blinken urged that foreign ministers work together to address the challenges posed by the pandemic, and announced the launch of a Covid Data Tracker.

Stating that vaccines will be made available in conflict affected areas, he said concerted work would be undertaken to meet an estimated shortfall of 550 million vaccine doses needed to bring the entire global target population group under vaccination coverage.

Secretary Blinken presided over the session, with the IMF managing director, the US NIH director, and the WHO director general, setting the scene.

The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of about 25 countries. Besides the Bangladesh foreign minister, the foreign ministers of the EU, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway, Romania, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru, India, Indonesia, Maldives, ROK, South Africa, Senegal, and Kenya, were invited to speak.

Senior representatives of the African Union, the Pacific Island Forum, the League of Arab States, and the Organisation of American States, also spoke at the meeting.

Top News

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen / Foreign minister / COVID-19 / five-point recommendation / Coronavirus

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Hitting the highway.Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
    US drivers are using less gasoline. Let's keep it that way
  • 15 students hurt after police charge baton on protest over fuel price hike
    15 students hurt after police charge baton on protest over fuel price hike
  • File Photo: State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid
    All factories to remain closed once a week under rationing system

MOST VIEWED

  • Infographic: TBS
    Rail engines bought without feasibility study fail to ease locomotive crisis
  • Photo: TBS
    First Russian ship arrives at Mongla since start of Ukraine invasion
  • Photo: TBS
    Mongla port to auction off 115 cars
  • The number of intra-city buses in the capital decreased significantly since Saturday morning following the government's move to hike fuel prices. The photo shows an empty Farmgate, one of the busiest Dhaka intersections, on Saturday, 6 August, 2022. taken Photo: Rajib Dhar/TBS
    Public transport shortage grips commuters across Bangladesh after fuel price hike
  • Represenatational image. Picture: Collected
    DNCC to launch smart parking for 500 vehicles in September
  • Country's first Gold Fair begins June 23
    Malabar set to export gold jewellery from Bangladesh

Related News

  • WB to provide $300m to strengthen local urban institutions
  • Children aged 5-11 years to get Covid vaccine on experimental basis: Health minister
  • BCSIR develops low-priced Covid test kits
  • Biden tests negative for Covid after 'rebound' case, says his physician
  • North Korea marks end of first Covid wave, but risks persist

Features

Safa Shareef’s bridal make-up: Contemporary with a ‘deshi’ touch

Safa Shareef’s bridal make-up: Contemporary with a ‘deshi’ touch

10h | Mode
Infograph: TBS

Why a drastic fuel price hike is dangerous

1d | Panorama
A fuel price hike to fuel agony

A fuel price hike to fuel agony

1d | Panorama
Kamal Uddin Mazumder. Sketch: TBS

Rising foreign debt and balance of payments deficit: Does Bangladesh need to worry?

1d | Thoughts

More Videos from TBS

Is BPC really in loss?

Is BPC really in loss?

1h | Videos
Reasons behind Putin-Erdogan's meeting in Sochi

Reasons behind Putin-Erdogan's meeting in Sochi

5h | Videos
Dr Jamaluddin Ahmed talks about recent fuel price hike

Dr Jamaluddin Ahmed talks about recent fuel price hike

5h | Videos
Temperature rises in Sundarbans, water crisis deepens

Temperature rises in Sundarbans, water crisis deepens

10h | Videos

Most Read

1
Diesel price hiked by Tk34 per litre, Octane by Tk46
Energy

Diesel price hiked by Tk34 per litre, Octane by Tk46

2
July remittance hits two-year high
Economy

July remittance hits two-year high

3
5,400 Bangladeshis get work visas to Romania
Migration

5,400 Bangladeshis get work visas to Romania

4
Housing projects sprouting up by Dhaka-Mawa expressway
Real Estate

Housing projects sprouting up by Dhaka-Mawa expressway

5
How banks made millions from volatile dollar 
Banking

How banks made millions from volatile dollar 

6
Infographic: TBS
Banking

Dollar rate will be left to market after two months: Governor

EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2022
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net