Cambodia becomes the first country in ASEAN to receive COVID19 vaccines through the COVAX scheme
The first 324,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility have been delivered to Cambodia on Tuesday, March the 2nd, 2021. Cambodia becomes the first country in Western Pacific Region and ASEAN to receive vaccines through this scheme. COVAX Facility expects to deliver doses to cover 20% of the total population of Cambodia (an estimated 7 million doses), and 1,1 million doses, before the end of May this year.
#TeamEurope salutes this arrival and the EU Ambassador to Cambodia, Carmen Moreno, participated in the hand-over ceremony at the airport.
“The EU and its Member States have invested in the research and production of safe and effective vaccines and on supporting equal and fast access to vaccines to every country around the world. Together, we have contributed over $2,6 billion to the COVAX Facility, making #TeamEurope one of the lead donors in this unprecedented global effort. The vaccines that arrived yesterday and that will be arriving throughout 2021 will support Cambodia in its fight against COVID 19. The fast arrival of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, thanks to UN partners, WHO and UNICEF, together with CEPI and Gavi, makes COVAX a success story of solidarity and multilateralism, of working together to solve the most important global challenge we face.”
ASEAN countries are set to receive over 32 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021 through the COVAX facility.
Background
Team Europe is one of the lead contributors to COVAX with over $2.6 billion, including €1 billion from the EU budget in grants and guarantees. Team Europe draws resources from the EU, its Member States and the European Investment Bank.
The EU contribution as a whole brings us closer to achieving COVAX's target to deliver 1.3 billion doses for 92 low and middle-income countries by the end of 2021.
The COVAX Facility is the global initiative that is leading efforts to secure fair and equitable access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines in low and middle-income countries. To date, a total of 191 countries participate in the COVAX Facility.
Photo credit: ©AKP
MÁS HISTORIAS
