IN keeping with its agenda to improve healthcare across the country, the Government of Guyana will be establishing a local vaccine production facility, and India, a world leader in this sector, has expressed a strong desire to be a part of this initiative.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali, during his address at the commissioning ceremony for the MV MA Lisha, said that as part of its efforts to improve healthcare, the Government of Guyana has recognised the need for increased access to life-saving vaccines, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I do not intend, as I have said many times before, to be a sit-and-wait President. No! It’s not going to happen! We’re going to make the tough decisions and hard calls in the interest of Guyana and the people of Guyana,” the Head of State said.

India has expressed its “firm and strong” desire to be a part of Guyana’s efforts to establish a vaccine production facility for Guyana, similar to BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine factory in Kigali, Rwanda.

India’s Minister of External Affairs Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also said that the bilateral partnership is set to benefit both countries, as Guyana will gain access to India’s vast knowledge and experience in vaccine production, while India will have the opportunity to expand its reach and impact in the global healthcare sector.

As a country with a long history of cooperation with Guyana, India has pledged to provide technical support and expertise to help establish the local vaccine production facility.
President Ali said that the establishment of a local vaccine production facility in Guyana is a significant step forward in the country’s efforts to improve healthcare, and strengthen its healthcare infrastructure.

By working together with international partners like India, the government is laying the foundation for a more resilient and sustainable healthcare system that can better serve the needs of its people.

“Given our strong commitment to seeing India as a strategic partner of Guyana in the realisation of our plans and projections, we’re expanding this friendship so that we can open up new frontiers,” the President said.

During a recent press conference, Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo had emphasised that establishing a local vaccine production facility would provide regional security for life-saving vaccines.
“This issue has been a concern for some time, particularly in light of the pandemic. We have been exploring the possibility of achieving regional vaccine security to protect our people,” Dr. Jagdeo had said.

Guyana has begun engaging with researchers and developers to acquire pharmaceutical equity for global public health.

These efforts, Dr. Jagdeo highlighted, are in response to the challenges encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that the global crisis highlighted the importance of not only having access to vaccines, but also ensuring that every region has vaccine security.

The pandemic also exposed the inequality in the manufacturing, pricing, and distribution of vaccines.

“The goal is to ensure future security, as seen during the pandemic. We couldn’t obtain supplies for our people in this part of the world; Africa faced similar issues, which is why there are discussions with Rwanda to pursue the same course. We cannot rely on the developed world in the future to provide these supplies,” Dr. Jagdeo said.