Since the beginning of the pandemic, Italy has been among the first countries to support the importance of equal and universal access to vaccines, treatments and tests for COVID-19, based on a principle of international solidarity according to which no one will be safe until everyone is safe. Only through international cooperation and the strengthening of the global health system will it be possible to put an end to the pandemic.
It is on that basis that in 2020 Italy, together with its main partners, created the ACT Accelerator (“Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator”) and the “COVAX Facility” within it, of which it is one of the main supporters with a contribution of 385 million euros. Furthermore as the Presidency of the G20, Italy is committed to placing health issues and preparedness for new potential pandemic risks at the centre of the international agenda, as was confirmed at the Global Health Summit, organised together with the European Commission, which took place on 21 May 2021.
In addition to its financial contribution, within 2021 Italy will be donating 15 million doses of the vaccine to low- and middle-income countries, mainly via COVAX. These donations began in August with designation of the first lots to COVAX, which is allocating them via GAVI, the WHO, and UNICEF. To date, over four million doses donated by Italy have been assigned. One of the first countries to receive the donated doses will be Vietnam, to which 800,000 doses will be delivered in a few days. This is an important gesture of friendship and solidarity towards a strategic partner for Italy in Southeast Asia and ASEAN. The oher countries that will also soon be receiving doses donated by Italy will include Albania, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen.
