China to provide 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine under grant assistance to Nepal

Published On: January 31, 2021 08:40 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Jan 31: China on Sunday said that it has decided to provide 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine under grant assistance to Nepal.

Issuing a press statement, the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu said that the Chinese government has decided to provide 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines under grant assistance to Nepal, which would benefit 150,000 Nepali people.

"China and Nepal are good neighbors, good friends and good partners. Facing whatever challenges like the earthquake and the pandemic, the two countries have always supported and helped each other through thick and thin," reads the press statement.

In order to implement Chinese President Xi Jinping’s solemn commitment that China will make its vaccine a global public good once available, and on the request of the Nepali government, the Chinese government decided to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to Nepal under grant assistance.

"Despite huge demands for the vaccines both in China domestically and across the world at present, the Chinese government has prioritized Nepal in providing the vaccines, fully demonstrating the great importance it attaches to the China-Nepal friendship," reads the press statement.

The vaccine to be donated to Nepal is developed by the Sinopharm and has already got conditional marketing approval in China, the embassy said.

The embassy said that more than 24 million doses have been administrated until January 31.

"After a two-dose inoculation procedure, the vaccine shows 79.34% efficacy against COVID-19, and the seroconversion rate of neutralizing antibodies reached 99.52%. The safety and effectiveness of the vaccine has surpassed the marketing standards of the World Health Organization, and received wide recognition by other countries. So far, the vaccine has got licenses for marketing or approval for emergency use in 13 foreign countries including Pakistan, the UAE, Egypt, Hungary, etc," reads the press release.

The embassy said that it is coordinating with relevant Nepali authorities on the registration for emergency use and receipt of the vaccine and would like to deliver the vaccines to the Nepali side at the earliest so as to help Nepal win the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The Chinese side is willing to work together with the Nepali side to build a community of health for all and further strengthen and promote the strategic partnership of cooperation featuring the ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity between the two countries," according to the press release.