The Government of Japan announced assistance of 9.3 million US dollars to support India’s response to COVID-19 pandemic.

This grant will provide India with cold chain equipment (CCE) including cold-storage facilities, to ensure vaccines reach all. The assistance is channeled through UNICEF.

Cold chain system building is critical to enhancing the country’s capacity to contain COVID-19 pandemic as well as to strengthen the immunization service delivery for women and children in the long term. The funding will be used to procure cold chain equipment and for strengthening institutional capacity to manage CCE to bolster the COVID-19 vaccines drive over a 12-month period starting from July 2021.

This will include purchase of Walk In Coolers, Walk In Freezers, Solar Direct Drives, Vaccine Carriers and Voltage Stabilizers, that are part of the cold chain system.

His Excellency Mr. Satoshi Suzuki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to India, said, “I am pleased that Japan and UNICEF stand together with India in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic and are cooperating to provide CCE and technical assistance to strengthen institutional capacity to manage CCE for smooth delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in India. This project will help deliver vaccines to approximately 5.5 million people living in remote areas including the North-East.”

UNICEF India Representative, Dr Yasmin Ali Haque said, “This generous and timely contribution from the Government of Japan to the Government of India, through UNICEF, will immensely support the equitable and efficient deployment of COVID-19 vaccines across the country to reach the last mile in the fight against COVID-19.”

Japan continues to be a leader and a major contributor in supporting countries across the globe in combatting COVID-19 and in addressing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Japan’s assistance aims to ensure equitable access to vaccines including in developing countries and in accelerating access to vaccination, a universal challenge for international community.

Japan has led operationalization of the COVAX Facility as an international mechanism for the procurement of vaccines, and recently announced 800 million US dollars of financial contribution in addition to existing 200 million US dollars. Japan’s assistance will further complement efforts of the COVAX Facility.