PH pledges USD100,000 to COVAX facility

The Philippines has pledged USD100,000 to the COVAX Facility, as announced by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.

The country will still receive an estimated 30 to 40 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility for free.

The COVAX facility, co-led by CEPI, Gavi, and the WHO, aims to ensure equitable access to vaccines, especially for low and middle-income countries.

The initiative seeks to deliver two billion safe and effective vaccines by the end of 2021.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. inspected cold storage facilities in Laguna, Muntinlupa, and Parañaque to ensure they meet the required storage temperatures.

The national government is negotiating with 18 logistics companies, including four with ultra-cold storage capacity, in preparation for the vaccine rollout.

The government also aims to buy 148 million doses from seven leading vaccine manufacturers to immunize 50 to 70 million Filipinos this year.