Egypt-China cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine production "successful model for int'l cooperation" -- WHO

Airport staff members unload the first batch of Chinese Sinovac vaccine raw materials from a plane at the Cairo International Airport in Cairo, Egypt, May 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)

"The cooperation between Egypt and China is a successful model for international cooperation and transfer of global expertise, which contributes to achieving the UN (United Nations) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," said Naeema Al-Gasseer, WHO representative in Egypt, in a statement.

CAIRO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday welcomed the cooperation between Egypt and China in producing Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines in Egypt.

"The cooperation between Egypt and China is a successful model for international cooperation and transfer of global expertise, which contributes to achieving the UN (United Nations) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," said Naeema Al-Gasseer, WHO representative in Egypt, in a statement.

Egyptian Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA) and Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac signed an agreement in April to jointly manufacture Sinovac vaccines in VACSERA's factory in the North African country.

A woman receives the COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination venue converted from the Cairo's International Exhibition Center in Cairo, Egypt, on May 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Egypt has recently celebrated the production of the first one million doses of the vaccine, seeking to meet local demand and further export them to other countries in the region.

Al-Gasseer said that cooperation between Egypt and China in this regard helps achieve Goal 3.8 of the SDGs, concerning "access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines."

On June 1, the WHO validated the Sinovac vaccine for emergency use, assuring countries that the Chinese vaccine meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing.

The WHO also appreciates Egypt's plan to vaccinate 40 percent of its citizens and residents by the end of this year, saying it is consistent with the organization's call.

It values Egypt's plan to "achieve self-sufficiency in vaccines to become a center for exporting vaccines in Africa," said the statement.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, China and Egypt have been cooperating closely by exchanging medical aid and expertise.