EU strengthens support to accelerate vaccination in Eastern Partnership countries, including RM

The European Commission decided yesterday to increase its aid package from € 40 million to € 75 million to roll out safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and accelerate vaccination campaigns in six Eastern Partnership countries. We are talking about Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, the European Union said in a statement. The new program is part of Team Europe's global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ipn.md reports The EU want use this new aid package to significantly increase access to vaccines in the Eastern Partnership region in the face of global vaccine shortages, to facilitate vaccine exchange between EU member states and to recover costs. € 35 million are in addition to the first € 40 million aid package. It launched in February to immediately strengthen community preparedness for safe and effective vaccination, in collaboration with the World Health Organization. It includes training for health decision-makers and healthcare personnel involved in the vaccination campaign, key logistics support for the delivery and handling of vaccines and supplies, vaccination data and safety monitoring, community communication and participation, and support for the development of the COVID digital certificate. In this context, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said: “The EU is determined to support our eastern neighbours in accelerating vaccinations, as this will be critical to ending the pandemic and starting the socio-economic recovery of the region. We take care of our partners”. Team Europe is one of the leading contributors to the COVAX initiative with nearly € 3 billion for the COVAX Foundation, which remains a key global instrument for ensuring fair and equitable access to these vaccines and fostering international vaccine solidarity. Team Europe intends to donate at least 200 million doses to partner countries by the end of the year. Most vaccines are expected to be delivered via COVAX