The fund was officially inaugurated on June 5, with an aim to mobilise social resources so as to facilitate the purchase and importation of vaccines as well as the research and production of homegrown ones.

Dr Kidong Park, WHO Representative in Vietnam, said the mobilisation to improve access to COVID-19 vaccine of the Vietnamese Government is carried out in a timely manner and in line with the global vaccine initiative.

That the Government manages and equitably uses donations from individuals and private firms is hoped to result in new values for the strategy to fight the ravaging pandemic, he added.

UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Kamal Malhotra affirmed that the initiative has received support from the UN over the months.

He noted that there should only be one fund at the national level, under the supervision and guidance of the Government.

Welcoming the inauguration of the vaccine fund, Carolyn Turk, World Bank Country Director for Vietnam, said that the Vietnamese Government has made an accurate move in speeding up the inoculation drive.

For her part, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen said a UNDP study showed that people in the country are highly in favour of COVID-19 prevention and control measures of the Government.

Therefore, she expressed her belief that people from all walks of life, especially businesses will respond to the Government’s call and make contributions to the newly-established fund.

Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, head of the European Union Delegation to Vietnam, said the establishment of the vaccine fund has a significant role to play in Vietnam’s strategy in battling COVID-19.

He also said he believes that the Vietnamese Government plays a core role in the mobilisation and connection of resources.

As of 8pm on June 5, the fund, which was approved by the Government on May 26, had received VND1.036 trillion (US$45 million).

Vietnam is projected to need 150 million doses of vaccine to inoculate about 75 million people at an estimated cost of VND25.2 trillion./.VNA