ADB told to take lead role in vaccine availability

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Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez is calling on the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to consider taking on the lead role in ensuring accessibility of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines for those who need it the most.

Dominguez said during the 53rd Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors yesterday while the government remains committed to bolstering public health infrastructure to fight the pandemic and prepare for future public health emergencies, the wild card in all the planning and the strategizing is the virus itself.

“It dictates the timeline for all of us. We have no knock-out punch until a safe and effective vaccine is ready for mass distribution,” he said at the “Joint Ministers of Finance and Health Symposium on Universal Health Coverage in Asia and the Pacific: COVID-19 and Beyond” held virtually yesterday.

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“With a number of ongoing developments of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, we encourage the ADB to take on a lead role in ensuring the accessibility of these treatments to those who need it most,” he added.

Dominguez suggested that the ADB take the initiative to convene a working group with the World Health Organization, World Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and other multilateral bodies to assist developing member-countries in accessing these vaccines.

“The working group could establish a common information portal that will provide member-countries with updates on COVID-19 vaccine development,” Dominguez said.

“A coordinated approach to the procurement of vaccines and mobilization of financing for this purpose will greatly help developing countries restore the vitality of their economies,” he added.

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