India is providing 1 million doses of its indigenous Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, produced by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, a top government official privy to the development told CNN-News18.
The first shipment consisting of 5 lakh doses of Covaxin has been sent by Mahan (Iran) airways and would reach Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Saturday.
A second shipment also comprising another 5 lakh doses is likely to be sent in the second week of January, sources added.
This is the first time that the Narendra Modi government is sending Covid-19 vaccines to Afghanistan after the Taliban formed the government there in September.
The Covaxin doses are being sent to Afghanistan under the government’s Vaccine Maitri programme, a diplomatic move to gift and supply made-in-India vaccines to low-income and developing countries across the globe.
Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Brazil, Morocco, South Africa, DR Congo and Nigeria are among some of the beneficiaries of the initiative.
At present, Bharat Biotech is producing around 70 million doses per month and expects to reach an annualised capacity of one billion doses in the next few months.
The company has been scaling up its manufacturing capacity across its facilities in Hyderabad, Ankleshwar, Pune, and Malur.
Covaxin got WHO listing in November, clearing the way for India to commit vaccine supplies to COVAX, the global vaccine-sharing effort led by the body. Currently, Covaxin has emergency-use listings with over 20 countries, and it is expected that soon more than 50 countries will grant EUA to the vaccine.
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