Dozens of countries on Wednesday pledged nearly $2.4 billion to the COVAX vaccine-sharing plan to widen availability of COVID-19 shots to people in poorer nations who have so far come up short, report agencies.
The announcements, ranging from $2,500 from island nation Mauritius to millions of dollars and doses from larger, wealthier countries, came during a video summit hosted by Japan and the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, which leads the COVAX facility alongside the World Health Organization.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, whose government pledged $800 million, called the result "an extremely significant and meaningful step" toward equitable vaccine access.
The COVAX mechanism, which has distributed 77 million doses to 127 countries, aims to accelerate access to 1.8 billion vaccine doses, covering nearly 30 per cent of poorer nations' populations.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the pledge drive as putting COVAX "on a war-footing to finance the fight".
Canada, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg were among other countries to announce new donations, while Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez, who pledged 15 million doses and 50 million euros ($61 million), said: "Only by leading by example we will be effective in preaching solidarity."
US Vice President Kamala Harris referenced the United States' $2 billion contribution this year and $2 billion earmarked for next year, but made no specific announcements on fresh US funding.
Meanwhile, India could have as many as 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines available per day in July and August, compared with just under three million now, the government said, trying to allay concerns about shortages and mishandling of the programme.
The world's second most populous country has suffered a disastrous outbreak of infections since April that is only now abating and health experts say the only way it can avert another surge is mass vaccination of its 1.3 billion people.
Vaccine manufacturers such as Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech are scrambling to boost supplies, with the country also in talks with major foreign vaccine producers such as Pfizer Inc, officials have said.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 28,175,044 on Tuesday, with 127,510 new cases reported in 24 hours, said the federal Health Ministry.
Another report adds: Notwithstanding a drop in the number of fresh cases in several countries, the global Covid-19 tally topped 172 million on Wednesday.
The global caseload and fatalities currently stand at 172,010,383 and 3,577,665, respectively, according to worldometers.
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