Saudi Arabia is capable of manufacturing vaccines
The Kingdom has the power to contribute and alleviate the impact of the Corona pandemic.
The Saudi Minister of Health and General Supervisor of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action, Dr Abdullah Al-Rabiah, told Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath that Saudi Arabia could manufacture vaccines and help needy countries.
“Saudi Arabia has the infrastructure and national expertise to help the health industries,” he concluded.
Saudi Arabia confirmed its readiness to be a regional centre for the production of the Covid-19 vaccine, and for the supply, transportation and other health industries, in light of the continued suffering of many countries from the high outbreak of the epidemic and the apparent discrepancy regarding vaccine supplies and its arrival in a few countries.
That came during a speech by the General Supervisor of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action, Dr Abdullah Al-Rabiah, at the ministerial meeting of the Group of Twenty in the Italian city of Brindisi.
“The pandemic’s challenge necessitates our working together to achieve a coordinated worldwide response,” he stated.
An organization that enables us to work to protect the largest possible number of lives is needed.
He stated that in all health, humanitarian and development initiatives, and logistical services, stronger cooperation between international communities is a must.
Dr Al-Rabiah pointed out: “There is a clear discrepancy regarding vaccine supplies. Most of the available doses have reached a minimal number of countries, which has led to a sad result represented in countries that still face high rates of the spread of the disease and put patients in hospital and deaths,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of “learning from this lesson to tackle any future epidemics.”
“Saudi Arabia aggressively favours the regionalization of relevant industries, particularly in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, where regional production of the vaccine is taking place,” he concluded.
That also applies to “other necessary supplies, such as personal protective equipment for health workers and the general public, as well as the distribution of respirators and medical gases to health sites.”
The general supervisor of the King Salman Relief Center indicated that Saudi Arabia had invested about US$713m to support the pandemic control, including financial support for the Gavi coalition, the Kovax facility, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. The centre assisted many countries, including Yemen, Syria and Sudan, the Rohingya in Bangladesh, and refugees in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.