PM Modi, Australian PM Morrison discuss affordable and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison on Friday discussed the need for affordable and equitable access to vaccines and medicines to fight the Covid-19 pandemic effectively. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed initiatives for equitable and affordable access to Covid-19 vaccines with his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison over phone. PM Modi and PM Morrison agreed that the vaccines are crucial for fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Spoke with my friend @ScottMorrisonMP to thank him for Australia’s solidarity and support for India’s fight against the pandemic.We agreed on the importance of ensuring affordable and equitable access to vaccines and medicines, and discussed possible initiatives in this regard. Just spoke with our friend, PM @narendramodi who thanked Australia for standing by India during the #COVID19 crisis. We’re supporting them with ventilators and oxygen concentrators. We won’t forget India’s generosity in exporting vaccines. We’ll work closely on global challenges. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 7, 2021 — Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) May 7, 2021 The two leaders spoke in the backdrop an exponential surge in Covid-19 cases in India and growing chorus across the world for a waiver on intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines under the mechanism set up by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).