This Tuesday, the regional bloc of countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas-People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) will have access to financing for the purchase of vaccines against Covid-19.
This was informed during a meeting of the Social Council of that mechanism by the president of the ALBA Bank, Raul Li Causi, on the availability of a fund of two million dollars to financially support in several phases the access of the nations of the area to supplies and medicines.
In this sense, the banking entity will allocate non-returnable resources to the Eastern Caribbean island states belonging to the bloc, for direct purchases from suppliers, as explained the executive.
Subsequently, the financial organization plans to contribute funds for the creation of the ALBA-TCP vaccines and treatments bank, an initiative that arose at the Alliance Summit held on December 14, 2020.
In this regard, the head of ALBA Bank highlighted the commitment to contribute to the creation of an air bridge, in collaboration with the Venezuelan state-owned airline Conviasa, for the transfer of medicines and antidotes to meet the health emergency in the countries of the bloc.
He also advocated finding focal points and harmonizing joint strategies to counteract Covid-19, based on the challenges and particularities of each of the member countries of the Alliance. During the meeting held via video-conference, the ALBA-TCP Social Council agreed to strengthen the participation of Member States in the existing negotiation processes for the development of a more efficient and effective mechanism for joint purchases of vaccines and medicines.
Finally, were laid the foundations for the creation of a Humanitarian Fund to contribute to improving access to medical supplies, rapid and molecular tests for the detection of Covid-19.
