Komeito: Japan should lead covid vaccination support in developing countries

May 13 , 2021

Sato urges Japan to contribute more to global covid vaccine initiative on May 12 Sato urges Japan to contribute more to global covid vaccine initiative on May 12

At a House of Representatives foreign policy committee hearing held on May 12, Komeito’s Shigeki Sato urged the government for a dramatic increase in funding for COVAX Facility to facilitate its vaccine rollout, particularly for low-income countries. The Japanese government will cohost the 2021 COVAX Summit with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in Japan on June 2.

COVAX Facility—which is backed by the World Health Organization, Gavi, CEPI and other foundations—seeks to raise monetary contributions to purchase vaccines from pharmaceutical developers at the COVAX Summit. While COVAX Facility requires $8.3 billion to fund its initiative, particularly in support for the participating 90 middle- and low-income nations, it is reporting a shortfall of some $1.7 billion to date.

In response to Sato’s call, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi acknowledged that the Japanese government cannot urge other countries to step up their contributions while not doing so itself.