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No to vaccine nationalism, yes to global cooperation

General Studies- IV (ethical issues in international relations)

Editorials In Depth

04 Feb 2021

Since the worldwide inoculation process is going strong, vaccine diplomacy has become a hot topic.

While the leading and advanced countries have been mindlessly selfish in amassing approved vaccines, it is the Global South countries, India and China, which have provided a ray of hope to most countries.

What is vaccine nationalism?

Countries such as the USA and UK have pre-booked more coronavirus vaccines than their populations need. This could end up putting vaccines out of reach for countries that need them.

Other countries, including India and Russia, have taken similar stances. This prioritisation of domestic markets has become known as vaccine nationalism.

Advance purchase contracts

The United States has entered into multi-billion-dollar agreements with at least six big pharmaceutical companies for assured supplies of a combined 800 million doses of vaccines that they are separately developing for novel coronavirus.

  • That is more than two doses for every American citizen.
  • The agreements mean that if any of these companies are successful in developing a vaccine, they would be obligated to provide the agreed supplies to the United States before anyone else.

The United Kingdom has entered into similar agreements with multiple companies to secure about 340 million doses, or about five doses per capita.

  • Similar arrangements have been reached by European Union, and some other countries like Mexico, as well.

India’s role in worldwide inoculation process:

While advanced countries have turned their back on the need of poor countries to access COVID-19 vaccines, India has displayed empathy to their needs.

  • India has taken a position that a significant percentage of the approved doses will be permitted for exports.
  • While its exports to neighbouring counties will be under grant mode, initial shipment of vaccines to least developed countries will be free of cost.
  • Shipments of vaccines from India have already started reaching different parts of the developing world.
  • Brazil has received 2 million doses of vaccine from India (as of January 23).
  • While India is in its first phase of vaccination to cover health-care workers, exports from India are helping other countries also in initiating phase one of their vaccination programme — a gesture well-appreciated globally.
  • In a democracy, one can expect the backlash of sending vaccines abroad without vaccinating its population.

Keep track of SDGs:

The attitude of India towards vaccinating the populations in the poorer countries has generated discussion in the richer countries about the necessity for more proactive measures to roll out vaccines to the developing nations.

  • The reversal of progress on many Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, such as SDG 3 (“Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) could affect the health of the world population, and global growth itself.
  • Even before COVID-19, projections have shown that 6% of the global population would be in extreme poverty, thereby causing enormous challenges to SDG 1 (“End poverty in all its forms everywhere”).
  • According to estimates by the International Monetary Fund, over 50% of emerging markets and developing economies that were converging toward advanced economies per capita income over the last decade are expected to diverge over the 2020-22 period.

COVAX project as a pathway

The COVAX project is a global risk-sharing mechanism for pooled procurement and fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

  • It is an ambitious programme based on funding from high and middle-income countries.
  • Although the funding was not enough for the project, U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to join the project has now raised expectations significantly.
  • COVAX is a unique case of global cooperation and a strategic shift to enhance global development outcomes.
  • Furthermore, since most of the vaccines are purchased from the global south for developing nations, the COVAX project can draw new pathways for global development.

Way forward:

The lower price of the vaccines is what has attracted many commercial buyers globally, including emerging economies such Brazil and South Africa.

  • The ability to produce large volumes of vaccine at an affordable cost underlines India’s importance to developing countries when it comes to drug access.
  • The development of vaccines is a classic story of global cooperation between the North and the South.
  • Unfortunately, the increasing nationalist tendencies of the democratic World during the pandemic have challenged the positive narrative on global cooperation.

Source: The Hindu

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