BRUSSELS: The global scheme to deliver Covid-19 vaccines to poorer countries faces a “very high” risk of failure, potentially leaving nations that are home to billions of people with no access to vaccines until as late as 2024, internal documents say, with Pakistan, which has also signed up for the program, also at risk.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) COVAX program is the main global scheme to vaccinate people in poor and middle-income countries around the world against the coronavirus. It aims to deliver at least two billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021 to cover 20 percent of the most vulnerable people in 91 poor and middle-income countries, mostly in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
But in internal documents reviewed by Reuters, the scheme’s promoters say the program is struggling from a lack of funds, supply risks and complex contractual arrangements which could make it impossible to achieve its goals.
Pakistan is relying on the WHO program to vaccinate as much as 20 percent of its population, according to the health ministry.
“The risk of a failure to establish a successful COVAX Facility is very high,” says an internal report to the board of Gavi, an alliance of governments, drug companies, charities and international organizations that arranges global vaccination campaigns.
Gavi co-leads COVAX alongside the WHO. The report and other documents prepared by Gavi are being discussed at Gavi’s board meetings on December 15-17.
The failure of the facility could leave people in poor nations without any access to Covid-19 vaccines until 2024, one of the documents says.
The risk of failure is higher because the scheme was set up so quickly, operating in “uncharted territory,” the report says.
“Current risk exposure is deemed outside of risk appetite until there is full clarity on the size of risks and possibilities to mitigate them,” it says. “It therefore requires intensive mitigation efforts to bring the risk within risk appetite.”
Gavi hired Citigroup last month to provide advice on how to mitigate financial risks.
In one November 25 memo included in the documents submitted to the Gavi board, Citi advisers said the biggest risk to the program was from clauses in supply contracts that allow countries not to buy vaccines booked through COVAX.
A potential mismatch between vaccine supply and demand “is not a commercial risk efficiently mitigated by the market or the MDBs,” the Citi advisers wrote, referring to multilateral development banks such as the World Bank.
“Therefore it must either be mitigated through contract negotiation or through a Gavi risk absorption layer that is carefully managed by a management and governance structure.”
Asked about the documents, a Gavi spokesman said the body remains confident it can achieve its goals.
“It would be irresponsible not to assess the risks inherent to such a massive and complex undertaking, and to build policies and instruments to mitigate those risks,” he added.
The WHO did not respond to a request for comment. In the past it has let Gavi take the lead in public comments about the COVAX program.
Citibank said in a statement: “As a financial adviser, we are responsible for helping Gavi plan for a range of scenarios related to the COVAX facility and supporting their efforts to mitigate potential risks.”
Supply deals
COVAX’s plans rely on cheaper vaccines that have so far yet to receive approval, rather than vaccines from frontrunners Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna that use more expensive new mRNA technology.
The Pfizer vaccine has already been approved for emergency use in several countries and deployed in Britain and the United States, and the Moderna vaccine is expected to be similarly approved soon.
COVAX has so far reached non-binding supply agreements with AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi for a total of 400 million doses, with options to order several hundred million additional shots, one of the Gavi documents says.
But the three companies have all faced delays in their trials that could push back some possible regulatory approvals to the second half of 2021 or later.
This could also increase COVAX’s financial needs. Its financial assumptions are based on an average cost of $5.20 per dose, one of the documents says.
Pfizer’s vaccines costs about $18.40-$19.50 per dose, while Moderna’s costs $25-$37. COVAX has no supply deals with either of those firms. Nor is it prioritising investment in ultra-cold distribution chains in poor countries, necessary for the Pfizer vaccine, as it still expects to use mostly shots which require more conventional cold storage, one of the Gavi documents says.
On Tuesday a WHO senior official said the agency was in talks with Pfizer and Moderna to include their Covid-19 vaccines as part of an early global rollout at a cost for poor countries possibly lower than current market prices.
Other shots are being developed worldwide and COVAX wants to expand its portfolio to include vaccines from other companies.
Rich countries, which have booked most of the currently available stocks of Covid-19 vaccines, are also planning to donate some excess doses to poor countries, although is not clear whether that would be through COVAX.
Financial pressure
To meet its target of vaccinating at least 20pc of people in poor countries next year, COVAX says it needs $4.9 billion in addition to $2.1 billion it has already raised.
If vaccine prices are higher than forecast, supply is delayed or the additional funds are not fully collected, the facility faces the prospect of failure, the documents say.
So far Britain and European Union countries are the main donors to COVAX, while the United States and China have made no financial commitments.
The World Bank and other multilateral financial institutions are offering cheap loans to poor countries to help them buy and deploy vaccines through COVAX.
The facility is issuing vaccine bonds which could raise as much as $1.5 billion next year if donors agreed to cover the costs, one of the Gavi documents says. COVAX is also receiving funds from private donors, mainly the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
But even under the best financial conditions, COVAX could still face failure, because of disproportionate financial risks caused by its complex deal-making process.
COVAX signs advance purchase contracts with companies on vaccine supplies that need to be paid for by donors or receiving countries that have the means to afford them.
But under clauses included in COVAX contracts, countries could still refuse to buy pre-ordered volumes if they prefer other vaccines, or if they manage to acquire them through other schemes, either faster or at better prices.
The facility could also face losses if countries were not able to pay for their orders, or even if herd immunity were developed too quickly, making vaccines no longer necessary, the Citigroup report said.
It proposed a strategy to mitigate these risks including through changes in supply contracts.
WHO coronavirus vaccine scheme risks failure, leaving Pakistan in the lurch
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WHO coronavirus vaccine scheme risks failure, leaving Pakistan in the lurch
- WHO COVAX program is main global scheme to vaccinate poor and middle-income countries
- Pakistan is relying on the program to vaccinate as much as 20 percent of its population
Pakistan’s religious affairs minister meets Egyptian grand mufti, highlights need for interfaith dialogue
- Both officials seek eradication of militant violence and sectarianism for the establishment of peace
- They also agree that the two countries should focus on enhancing economic, trade and cultural ties
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhary Salik Hussain on Saturday called for interfaith and intercultural dialogue to address growing intolerance worldwide and the challenges posed by militancy in Muslim states during a meeting with Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Dr. Nazir Mohamed Ayad.
Pakistan has made a conscious effort to promote religious pluralism and faith-based tourism in recent years, welcoming Buddhist monks as well as Hindu and Sikh devotees from India and beyond. However, the country continues to grapple with significant challenges, as religious minorities often complain of discrimination and marginalization.
The Pakistani minister’s meeting with Egypt’s grand mufti in Islamabad also sought the “eradication of terrorism, sectarianism, and the establishment of peace,” according to a statement released by the ministry.
“In light of the challenges and circumstances that Muslim countries are currently facing, there is a need to promote religious harmony, tolerance, and unity,” it continued. “There is an urgent need for dialogue between religions and cultures to establish peace in the world. An attitude of tolerance and respect is an essential component of Islamic teachings.”
Both sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation to foster religious harmony, peace, and tolerance globally. They also decided to enhance economic, trade, and cultural ties.
The grand mufti highlighted the Muslim world’s struggles against militant violence, suggesting joint efforts to combat extremism.
He reiterated his country’s plan to establish a campus of Al-Azhar University, one of the world’s oldest centers of Islamic education, in Pakistan.
He also proposed that Pakistani scholars visit Egypt to benefit from the institution’s teachings and expertise.
Pakistan, China reaffirm commitment to ‘CPEC 2.0’ focusing on industrialization
- Since 2013, CPEC has seen tens of billions of dollars funneled into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan
- CPEC 2.0 will focus on industrialization and special economic zones as well as on clean energy, agriculture and livelihood projects
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have resolved to undertake high-quality of development of a second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC 2.0, that would focus on industrialization, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.
The statement came after a 5th meeting of the CPEC Joint Working Group on International Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC) was held in Beijing. It was co-chaired by Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong.
China and Pakistan enjoy a close strategic partnership, with the latter’s location on the Arabian Sea providing Beijing an overland route toward the Gulf of Aden and onto the Suez Canal, and enabling Chinese ships to avoid the potential chokepoint of the Malacca Strait.
During the delegation level talks, the two sides reviewed with satisfaction the progress made since the 4th meeting of the JWG-ICC held in Islamabad in January 2024, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry.
“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the high quality development of CPEC 2.0, with its emphasis on industrialization and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as well as on clean energy, agriculture and livelihood projects,” it said in a statement.
“The meeting also acknowledged the pivotal role of CPEC in promoting regional connectivity, win-win cooperation and common prosperity, including through partnerships with other countries.”
Since its initiation in 2013, CPEC has seen tens of billions of dollars funneled into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan. But the undertaking has been hit by Islamabad struggling to keep up its financial obligations as well as attacks on Chinese targets by militants.
During a visit to China in June last year, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced both countries had mutually decided to enhance economic cooperation that would enter its next phase with five new corridors.
The Chinese vice foreign minister said 2.0 would focus on growth, livelihood and innovation, and reinforce Pakistan’s national development framework centered on ‘5 Es,’ representing exports, e-Pakistan, energy, environment and equity.
Foreign Secretary Baloch described CPEC as the cornerstone of China-Pakistan economic cooperation as well as a “shining symbol” of the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Both sides expressed resolve to deepen cooperation in the fields of media, cultural exchanges and people-to-people linkages to accelerate the building of a “China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future in the New Era.”
Separately, both countries also held a 4th round of Pakistan-China Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC), at which they reaffirmed commitment to further deepening their partnership.
The two sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and international issues and agreed to further enhance their mutual coordination and consultations, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry.
“Both sides agreed to further deepen their mutual partnerships in sectors such as information technology, agriculture and clean energy, driven by the concept of win-win cooperation and pursuit of people centric, inclusive development,” it said.
“The two sides underscored the need to strengthen their mutual coordination at the multilateral forums, including at the United Nations Security Council.”
Later, the foreign secretary also held a meeting with Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and exchanged views on Pakistan-China relations as well as regional and international issues of common interest.
Northwestern Pakistani province says 10 workers killed in coal mine collapse in country’s southwest
- The mine in Sanjdi coal field in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province collapsed after a methane gas explosion on Thursday
- Mines in Balochistan are known for hazardous working conditions and poor safety standards, where deadly incidents are not uncommon
ISLAMABAD: Ali Amin Gandapur, chief minister of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said on Saturday that 10 residents of his province were among 12 workers killed in a coal mine collapse in the country’s southwest.
The mine in the Sanjdi coal field in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province collapsed after a methane gas explosion on Thursday and a dozen miners were trapped inside it, according to the Balochistan mining department.
Rescue teams from the Balochistan mining department and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) recovered bodies of four miners on Friday, following an hours-long effort.
In a statement issued from his office, CM Gandapur said ten of the deceased miners hailed from the Shangla district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“We share the grief of the bereaved families,” the chief minister was quoted as saying by his office.
On Friday, Balochistan Chief Mines Inspector Abdul Ghani said the workers had been digging coal at 4,000 feet inside the mine, adding that the entire mine had caved in due to the intensity of the gas explosion.
“The mining department will conduct a thorough investigation to assess what kind of safety measures were put in place by the private mine owners,” he told Arab News.
Mines in Balochistan, which are operated by private companies under lease agreements with the government, are known for hazardous working conditions and poor safety standards, where deadly incidents are not uncommon.
At least 82 coal miners working on different projects were killed in Balochistan in 46 accidents last year, according to the Balochistan mining department.
Pakistan calls on world bodies to join hands for sustainable solutions for girls’ education
- The call came from PM Shehbaz Sharif at the opening session of a summit on girls’ education in Muslim countries
- The two-day conference aims to stress Islam’s message that both men and women have the right to education
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday urged international organizations and philanthropists to join hands to find sustainable solutions for the education of girls as Pakistan opened a two-day summit to discuss girls’ education in Muslim communities.
The global summit, which aims to find ways to advance girls’ education across the Muslim world, is being attended by over 150 dignitaries from 44 Muslim and other friendly states, according to Pakistan’s foreign office.
The primary aim of the conference is to stress the implementation of the Islamic message that both men and women have the right to education, according to Pakistan Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, whose ministry is hosting the event.
In his keynote address at the opening session, PM Sharif said ensuring equitable access to education for girls is one of the most “pressing challenges” facing the world.
“I call upon both global and Pakistani organizations, philanthropists and entrepreneurs to join us in creating scalable and sustainable solutions for girls’ education,” the prime minister said.
“Over the next decade, millions of young girls will enter the job markets [so] as they do so, they have the potential not just to lift themselves, their families and their nations out of poverty, but also to enrich the global economy, create new markets and find innovative solutions to our shared challenges.”
The Pakistan premier thanked Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their support and patronage of the conference.
“The pursuit of knowledge is a sacred duty for every Muslim, regardless of gender, as emphasized by Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him),” he said.
“His (PBUH) awe-inspiring message was preached in a society which was still in darkness and even in denial of the basic rights of women to exist in the world. In response to these great injustices, Islam introduced a transformative social paradigm.”
Sharif said the Muslim world, including Pakistan, faces significant challenges in ensuring equitable access to education for girls.
In Pakistan, he said, women make up more than half of the total population, yet the female literacy rate stands at only 49 percent and alarmingly, around 22.8 million children in the age bracket of five to 16 years are out of school, with a disproportionate number being girls.
“Denying education to girls is tantamount to denying them their voice and their choice, while depriving them of their right to a bright future,” he said, highlighting various initiatives undertaken by his government for the education of girls.
The Pakistan premier gave the examples of Fatimah Jinnah, sister of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Benazir Bhutto, first woman PM in the Muslim world, and Maryam Nawaz Sharif, first woman chief minister of a Pakistani province, saying they all inspired women participation in politics and socio-economic future of the country.
“History is witness to the determination and resilience of women who have thrived even within the limited spaces afforded to them, breaking the shackles of societal servitude and leaving and indelible mark on society,” he added.
Several dignitaries, including Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha and Egyptian Grand Mufti Dr. Nazir Mohamed Ayad, are attending the two-day summit.
On Saturday, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said she was “overwhelmed” to be back in her native Pakistan as she arrived to attend the conference in Islamabad.
“I’m truly honored, overwhelmed and happy to be back in Pakistan,” she told AFP.
Pakistan also extended an invitation to Afghanistan to join representatives from other Islamic countries and attend the conference in Islamabad.
“We had extended an invitation to Afghanistan but no one from the Afghan government was at the conference,” Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui told AFP.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, at least 1.4 million Afghan girls have been denied access to secondary education, according to a report by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) released in August last year.
An “Islamabad Declaration” will be announced at the end of the conference on Sunday that would outline decisive steps to transform girls’ education in Islamic countries.
With additional comments from AFP
OIC’s COMSTECH launches ‘expert service’ to foster tech cooperation among member states
- COMSTECH, an intergovernmental body, aims to promote science and technology, focusing on sustainable development and poverty reduction
- The strategic initiative is designed to enhance technological self-reliance, foster development, and mitigate brain drain in OIC member states
ISLAMABAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) has launched an “expert service” to foster technological cooperation among OIC member states, the committee said on Friday.
COMSTECH, an intergovernmental organization established by the OIC in 1981, is headquartered in Islamabad and continues to serve as a cornerstone of the OIC’s mission to promote scientific excellence and technological innovation, focusing on sustainable development, poverty reduction, and improvement in quality of life across member states.
The service was launched during OIC Secretary-General Hissein Ibrahim Taha’s visit to the COMSTECH Secretariat in Islamabad along with Pakistan’s Science and Technology Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. The high-profile event was attended by ambassadors of OIC member states, diplomats, vice-chancellors, government officials, scientists, and researchers from various OIC countries.
Launching the COMSTECH Expert Service for Technological Cooperation, Secretary-General Taha emphasized the importance of collaboration among OIC member states in the critical fields of science and technology to overcome the key challenges faced by the Muslim world, according to COMSTECH.
“This strategic initiative is designed to enhance technological self-reliance, foster sustainable development, and mitigate brain drain within OIC member states,” the OIC body said in a statement.
“The program aims to mobilize expertise from across the Muslim world to address pressing challenges in health care, agriculture, energy, and education, embodying the spirit of collaboration and mutual progress among OIC countries.”
The OIC chief said the upcoming 16th COMSTECH General Assembly, scheduled to be held in Islamabad later this year, would be a vital platform to discuss the future of science and technology in the OIC region.
“COMSTECH is a beacon of hope, empowering individuals and communities through groundbreaking initiatives,” he said. “I urge all member states to support and actively engage in these programs to collectively create a brighter and more prosperous future for the OIC community.”
On the occasion, Siddiqui reaffirmed the importance of science and technology as fundamental pillars for sustainable development within the OIC.
He termed the launch of the COMSTECH Expert Service a “pivotal step in uniting expertise across the Muslim world to address shared challenges and build resilience.”
