Dr. Harsh Vardhan nominated to Board of GAVI: The Vaccine Alliance

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has been nominated by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) as a member on the GAVI Board. He will be representing India from January 1, 2021 until December 31, 2023.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan will be representing the South East Area Regional Office (SEARO)/ Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) constituency on the GAVI Board. The seat is currently held by MyintHtwe of Myanmar. The Board normally meets twice a year in June and November/ December and holds an annual retreat, normally in March or April. All these meetings are normally attended in person. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-lweala presently serves as Chair of the GAVI Alliance Board.

GAVI Board is responsible for strategic direction and policy-making. It oversees the operations of the Vaccine Alliance and monitors programme implementation. The Board provides a forum for balanced strategic decision making, innovation and partner collaboration. It has membership drawn from a range of partner organizations, as well as experts from the private sector, GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance as part of its mission to save lives, reduce poverty and protect the world against the threat of epidemics.

The Board has helped vaccinate more than 822 million children in the world’s poorest countries, preventing more than 14 million future deaths.

During December 2020 end, Dr Harsh Vardhan, also inaugurated India’s first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). The vaccine “Pneumosil” has been developed by the Serum Institute of India Private Limited in collaboration with partners like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

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