Vaccine co-production in Bangladesh: Govt signs MoU with Sinopharm, Incepta
The government has signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding today for bottling, labelling and dispensing Sinopharm's Covid-19 vaccine in Bangladesh.
Under the MoU, local vaccine producer, Incepta Vaccines Ltd, will dispense five million doses of Sinopharm vaccine each month from its plant in Dhaka.
The signing ceremony was held at Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons in Dhaka.
The government of Bangladesh will purchase necessary vaccine doses produced here at a cheaper rate, Prof ABM Khurshid Alam, director general of the health directorate, said in his welcome address.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Ambassador of China to Bangladesh Li Jiming, and Chairman of Incepta Vaccines Ltd and Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd Abdul Muktadir signed the papers on behalf of their respective organizations.
In his speech, the health minister hoped that Incepta will supply the vaccines very soon.
"Bangladesh has so far received 3.1 crore vaccines. Two crore doses have already been administered and the rest are in stock," he added.
"We have contracts with different countries and we will continue to receive vaccines," the minister said.
In his speech, Abdul Muktadir said that they cannot confirm when they can start the production "due to some technical reasons."
Ji Rong, counselor on Asia affairs of Chinese foreign ministry, and Liu Jingzhen spoke as special guests, connecting virtually from Beijing.
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