Opinion | Nepal needs Chinese coronavirus vaccines as India and the West fall short

Name: ‘Nepal will be the weakest link’ without Covid-19 vaccines, says public health scientist
Uploaded: 2021-06-01T01:15:15.000Z
Duration: 6 min 11 s
Description: ‘Nepal will be the weakest link’ without Covid-19 vaccines, says public health scientist

China is attempting to fill the void left by India by supplying additional doses as Nepali authorities struggle to get vaccines

With India struggling and no available Western options, Nepal and other South Asian nations must rely on China to vaccinate their citizens

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A Covid-19 patient breathes with the help of medical oxygen as she arrives outside an emergency ward at the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 13. Photo: AFP

Brabim Karki

Published: 9:15am, 1 Jun 2021Updated: 9:15am, 1 Jun 2021

As Nepal’s government scrambles to get hold of vaccines amid a surge in coronavirus cases, China has said it will provide 1 million doses to the Himalayan country that is home to more than 28 million. The move comes after India stopped supplying vaccine exports to Nepal, citing its own growing domestic demand.

Hou Yanqi, China’s ambassador to Nepal, said on Twitter on May 25 that the announcement to provide the vaccines was made during a phone conversation between President Xi Jinping and Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

The surge in infections is creating larger cracks in Nepal’s already-fragile health care system, pushing it towards the brink. Hospitals are overwhelmed with coronavirus patients and do not have sufficient ventilators or oxygen.

Nepal is now seeing more infections per million than its neighbour India, with about 9,000 new cases a day, up from fewer than 200 in the first week of April. Nepal has vaccinated just 1.9 million people since it launched a campaign in January – less than 7 per cent of the total population.

China and India have a history of vying for influence in Nepal. Wedged between two giants, Nepal has always had a strategic importance that belies its size. Both nations have been giving away vaccines to Nepal as a part of diplomatic efforts to strengthen their ties with the country.

06:11

‘Nepal will be the weakest link’ without Covid-19 vaccines, says public health scientist

Nepal has relied on India for vaccines, oxygen and other medical supplies. It launched its vaccination drive in January with the Covishield vaccines provided by India.

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