China's contributions help enable global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines: Bangladeshi official

DHAKA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The entry of Chinese vaccines into the COVAX demonstrates contributions China has been making to solving the uneven distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world, a Bangladeshi health advisor said on Tuesday.

Mushtuq Husain, an adviser to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research under Bangladesh's Health Ministry, in an interview with Xinhua said so far China is the country that provides the most vaccines for developing countries.

He said China's contributions will bolster the inoculation drive against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic worldwide.

The official said Bangladesh is delighted to learn that the Chinese drugmakers Sinopharm and Sinovac will provide COVID-19 vaccines for the COVAX program to bolster its goals of reducing death and suffering as well as improving the global economy.

"We are very happy and feeling relieved that Sinopharm and Sinovac have contributed to COVAX to facilitate the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine to the developing countries," he said, adding that this would be a big boon for the whole world in the fight against the deadly disease.

The official said Bangladesh is in need for more Chinese support to rein in the worsening COVID-19 situation.

The Bangladeshi health official also said they are seeking more cooperation with Chinese organizations in the fight against infectious diseases.