The US has detailed plans to donate 7 million doses of anti-COVID vaccine to Nepal and other Asian countries.
Other countries listed as recipients are India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the Maldives, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan and the Pacific Islands.
The US on Thursday said on the fact sheet that it will donate at least 80 million doses of vaccine globally by the end of June as Washington aims to close the gap with Beijing in vaccine diplomacy.
"The sharing of millions of US vaccines with other countries signals a major commitment by the US government," the White House said in the fact sheet that called the plans "a vital component of our overall global strategy to lead the world in the fight to defeat COVID-19."
Among the first tranche of 25 million doses, about 7 million will be allocated to Asia via the World Health Organisation (WHO)-led COVAX vaccine access program, according to the White House.
At least three-quarters of all donated doses will be distributed through COVAX -- prioritising South Asia, Southeast Asia and certain other regions -- while the rest will go directly to such places as countries in need and their neighbours.
A total of 2,113,080 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 while 714,163 people have been administered the second dose of vaccines in Nepal.
Nepal has so far inoculated around 5.5 per cent of the total population while only a little over one per cent have received booster shots.
As per the Central Bureau of Statics, the population of Nepal at present stands at 30,338,104.
President Bidhya Devi Bhandari had written to various countries including US President Joe Biden requesting to provide vaccines to Nepal.
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