Quad pledges, uninterrupted COVID-19 Vaccine Supply in Indo-Pacific Region

The United States of America hosted Quad Summit this month. All four countries discussed many issues, from infrastructure to uninterrupted Covid vaccine supply to the Indo-Pacific Region. 

Quad leaders recognize the current threat to lives and livelihoods in all four countries and the world in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Therefore, in March, Quad leaders launched the Quad Vaccine Partnership to help and increase equitable access to safe and effective vaccines in the Indo-Pacific and the world.

Since March, the Quad has taken vital & necessary actions to distribute safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity, donated vaccines from their supply, and worked together to assist the Indo-Pacific in responding to the pandemic.

The Quad Vaccine Experts Group remains the heart of cooperation. They meet regularly to brief on the latest pandemic trends and coordinate & collective COVID-19 response across the Indo-Pacific, including piloting the Quad Partnership COVID-19 dashboard.  

Help to Vaccinate the World:

 As Quad countries pledged to donate more than 1.2 billion vaccine doses globally, in addition to the doses financed through COVAX.

To date, they are collectively delivering nearly 79 million safe and effective vaccine doses to the Indo-Pacific region.

Quad’s Vaccine Partnership remains on track to expand manufacturing at Biological E Ltd. this fall so that they can produce at least 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2022.

As a first step towards that new capacity, the leaders announced bold actions that will immediately help the Indo-Pacific in its quest to end the pandemic.

Quad recognizes the importance of open and secure supply chains for vaccine production. The Quad appreciates India’s announcement of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, including COVAX, beginning in October 2021.

Through $3.3 billion in the COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan program, Japan will continue to help regional countries procure safe, effective, and quality-assured vaccines.

Australia will deliver $212 million in grant aid to purchase vaccines for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

In addition, Australia will also allocate $219 million to support last-mile vaccine rollouts and lead in coordinating Quad’s last-mile delivery efforts in those regions.

Quad member countries will coordinate with the ASEAN Secretariat, the COVAX Facility, and other relevant organizations.

We will continue to strengthen and support the life-saving work of international organizations and partnerships, including the WHO, COVAX, Gavi, CEPI, UNICEF, and national governments.  

Save Lives Now: 

Quad commits to take further action in the Indo-Pacific region to save lives. Through Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Japan is working with India to enhance critical investments of approximately $100 million in the healthcare sector related to COVID-19, including vaccine and treatment drugs. 

Build Back Better Health Security: 

The Quad commits to better preparing all countries and the world for the next pandemic.

They will continue to build coordination among them to broader COVID-19 response and health-security efforts in the Indo-Pacific.

They will jointly develop and conduct at least one pandemic preparedness tabletop or exercise in 2022.  

Other announcement during Quad Summit:

Infrastructure:  

  Quad Infrastructure Coordination Group:

A senior Quad infrastructure coordination group will meet regularly to share assessments of regional infastructure needs and coordinate respective approaches to deliver transparent, high-standard infrastructure.

The group will coordinate with technical assistance and capacity-building efforts to ensure Quad’s measures, including regional partners.

They are mutually reinforcing and complementary in meeting the significant infrastructure demand in the Indo-Pacific. 

Climate:  

Quad countries will focus their efforts on the themes of climate ambition, such as working on 2030 objectives for national emissions and renewable energy, clean-energy innovation and deployment, and adaptation, resilience, and preparation to confront current deteriorating climate change.

Quad countries commit to take positive actions in the 2020s to meet anticipated energy demand and decarbonize at pace and scale to keep our climate goals within reach in the Indo-Pacific.