Context: Recently, India has officially begun its vaccine diplomacy by supplying Made-in-India Covid-19 vaccines to its neighbouring and key partner countries.

• According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India has received several requests for the supply of Indian manufactured vaccines from neighbouring and key partner countries.
• In response to these requests, and in keeping with India’s stated commitment to using India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity to help all of humanity in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, supplies are being sent under grant assistance.

Countries Getting Vaccines from India

• The Maldives, along with Bhutan are the first recipient of the Indian government’s gift, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
• They will be followed by Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles.
• Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius will also get vaccines after necessary regulatory approvals.
• Pakistan has not been named as a neighbouring country which will get the vaccine, though it is exploring options to get it through a global alliance or bilateral arrangements.

The only exception to India’s regional vaccine diplomacy would be 

• Pakistan has cleared the AstraZeneca vaccine for use but has neither requested nor discussed any doses from India yet.
• Recently, it has become the first country in South Asia to approve a Chinese vaccine, giving the green light for emergency use of Sinopharm’s vaccine. 

Supply in Phased Manner

• In India, the immunisation programme is being implemented in India in a phased manner to cover the healthcare providers, frontline workers and the most vulnerable.
• Keeping in view the domestic requirements of the phased rollout, India will continue to supply vaccines to partner countries in a phased manner.
• It will ensure that domestic manufacturers will have adequate stocks to meet domestic requirements while supplying abroad.
• This will be calibrated against domestic requirements and international demand and obligations, including under the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation’s (GAVI) Covax facility.
• Prior to the delivery of vaccines, a training programme, covering administrative and operational aspects, is being conducted for immunisation managers, cold chain officers, communication officers and data managers of the recipient countries, both at national and provincial levels.

Significance

• The release of the shipments is part of the government’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ initiative and will make India the first country to reach Covid-19 vaccines in South Asia, ahead of China which has promised but not so far delivered, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and GAVI’s programme. 
• The region’s preference for Indian vaccines, including the Covishield from the SII developed with Oxford University and AstraZeneca, and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, is based on the cost, easier storage requirements and geographical proximity., adding that Pakistan has neither requested nor is India discussing supplies to it at present.

Other Previous Efforts

• India had earlier supplied Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir and Paracetamol tablets, as well as diagnostic kits, ventilators, masks, gloves and other medical supplies to a large number of countries during the pandemic.
• India has also provided training to several neighbouring countries to enhance and strengthen their clinical capabilities, under the Partnerships for Accelerating Clinical Trials (PACT) programme.

PACT programme: It has been launched for supporting COVID-19 vaccine development activities in partnering countries.  

• The initiative is being implemented by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council(BIRAC) and Clinical Development Services Agency(CDSA) under the aegis of the National Biopharma Mission and Ind-CEPI Mission of DBT.