New Delhi, January 29: As India has emerged as the "Pharmacy of the World", UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised India for supplying COVID-19 doses to nations around the world saying, India is one of the world's best assets in the fight against Covid-19 because of its ability to supply the vaccines.
Addressing reporters during the press conference, he said, "I think that the production capacity of India is one of the best assets the world has today, and I hope the world understands that it must be fully used." He added, "I would like to say how much we count on India. I mean, India has oneof the most advanced pharmaceutical industries."
The UN Secretary-General also expressed hope that India will have all instruments necessary to play a major role in ensuring a global vaccination campaign becomes possible as the world fights the pandemic. He said, "We strongly hope that India will have all the instruments that are necessary to play a major role in making sure that a global vaccination is campaign is made possible."
"I think that the production capacity of India is the best asset that the world has today. I hope the world understands that it must be fully used," he added. This comes amid when India has gifted over 55 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccine to neighboring countries.
World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also thanked India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "continued support" in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Apart from WHO, the US department has also applauded India for sending crucial supplies of the COVID19 vaccine to a host of South Asian nations.
"We applaud India''s role in global health, sharing millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine in South Asia. India''s free shipments of the vaccine began w/Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh & Nepal & will extend to others. India''s a true friend using its pharma to help the global community," the US State Department''s account for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs had tweeted.