The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and NITI Aayog launched the city-to-city COVID-19 Vaccination Learning Exchange (CoVLEx) initiative, which is supported by USAID, to build a global COVID-19 vaccination knowledge management platform and to initiate an exchange of ideas and learnings on pandemic response. CoVLEx will take place in Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Indore and Bhubaneswar, as well as ten other locations in South Asian and African countries.

The platform would provide knowledge products like an interactive web-based knowledge portal, compiling the most effective techniques and virtual discussion boards allowing cities and countries to exchange ideas and information about their situations. Vaccine procurement, governance, digital innovation planning and management, vaccine supply chain, communications and social mobilization, capacity building, adverse occurrences after vaccination and monitoring and supervision will be discussed.

Dr Vinod K Paul, Member, NITI Aayog said, “The past year captures the true essence of global solidarity, innovation, and collaboration. India can share numerous lessons with countries from its national efforts. Aggregating and implementing proven interventions from Global South will be a welcome step in our fight against COVID-19.”

According to the experts, countries in the global south that lack domestic vaccine production capacity have been put in a difficult position while responding to and recovering from a pandemic. But despite these obstacles, a number of countries have tried to put forward new ideas for solving global problems through collaboration, technology, and private sector involvement.

Initially, 15 Indian and worldwide cities will take part in the effort, with plans to include more in the future. National routine immunization programmes will be strengthened with the use of COVID-19 vaccination techniques, which will help deliver effective primary health care services and speed up progress towards universal healthcare.