India : Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility

Health / Disease control of communicable disease

The project will benefit significantly from an abbreviated consideration period by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Directors since it supports the Government of India's rapid vaccination rollout to contain the ongoing pandemic and the severity of a possible third wave as well as the loss of lives. The government has already placed orders for APVAX-eligible vaccines and incurred substantial costs from the accelerated pace of vaccination since August 2021. Timely ADB support would add value by helping meet urgent financing needs for delivering APVAX eligible vaccines for priority population, and allow government resources to procure the planned non-APVAX eligible vaccines. Vaccine financing would also safeguard essential expenditure on emergency response needs, strengthen the resilience of health systems, and contribute to the country's commitment to an earlier resumption of vaccine export.

The project will provide the government with timely financing to procure safe and effective coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines based on an agreed list of eligible expenditures under the rapid response component (RRC) of the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX). Ongoing technical assistance (TA) will complement the project by strengthening the vaccine delivery system.

Since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in India on 30 January 2020, another 33,236,920 cases were confirmed and 442,655 people have died from the virus as of 12 September 2021. The pandemic resulted in very high costs to the country's overall health, well-being, and economy. India faced a devastating second wave starting March 2021, which peaked with a record high of 414,188 new COVID-19 cases on 7 May 2021. This was about 32% higher than the world's previous peak reported by the United States in 2020. The second wave in India overwhelmed hospitals and exhausted health workers, who were increasingly becoming infected. Despite the containment measures with localized lockdowns and social distancing, increased testing capacity (more than 2.2 million samples per day) to detect and isolate cases, and a national vaccination drive, the possibility of a third wave looms large because of highly contagious variants.

Equitable access to safe and effective vaccines is critical to ending the COVID-19 pandemic and has proven to be lifesaving. Recognizing this need, the government started rolling out inoculations on 16 January 2021. More than 738.2 million vaccine doses had been administered in more than 7.5 million sessions by 12 September 2021. India aims to inoculate 944.7 million people (68.9% of its total population). Given the devastating second wave and the possible threat of a third wave, the government allocated significant financing to health system strengthening efforts, which further strained its resource envelope. The government requires immediate financial support to procure eligible vaccines to inoculate its target population and limit the adverse impacts of the pandemic.

Accelerated health, social, and economic recovery from COVID-19 in India (NDVP for COVID-19 Vaccine)

Eligible populations safely vaccinated against COVID-19 in project states

Safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines supplied for eligible population in project states

Between August 2021 and May 2022, UNICEF's supported Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) interventions contributed to vaccination of close to 200,000 people, including 46,500 children (12-17 years-old), in rural areas and marginalised groups in urban slums. Total 151,000 persons, including 97,000 women received face-to-face information on challenges pertaining to the uptake of the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, launch of children's COVID-19 vaccination drive, and social protection schemes for the most vulnerable, through state, hamlets, village level advocacy and mobilization meetings. In addition, a cumulative total of 802 hamlet level meetings was conducted.

Awareness on Har Ghar Dastak' campaign 2.0: This was launched on 01 June, 2022 to expedite COVID-19 vaccination coverage in India. This is a door-to-door campaign with the prime focus is to vaccinate eligible population for first dose, emphasize on the need of the second dose and the importance for the precaution dose for all eligible beneficiaries including coverage for >= 60 years' age group.