HOPE Consortium to close global gap in vaccine distribution

By Adekunle Yusuf

The HOPE Consortium, a United Arab Emirates-based public-private partnership supporting the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the globe, has vowed that it will continue to work to lessen vaccine distribution challenges so that everybody is vaccinated.

The consortium reaffirmed its commitment during a virtual road show of how it is enabling global vaccine distribution.

Spearheaded by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the Hope Consortium comprises a range of supply chain companies, including Abu Dhabi Ports, as lead partner, Etihad Cargo and Rafed, as well as Switzerland’s SkyCell.

The virtual roadshow was attended by Dr. Omar Najim, Executive Office Director at the Department of Health of Abu Dhabi, Bader Al Ali, Senior Manager Commercial, Etihad Cargo, Robert Sutton, Head of the Logistics Cluster, Abu Dhabi Ports, and other leaders of the consortium.

HOPE consortium is enabling the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines all around the world, including the African content, through the expertise of its dedicated workforce and resources of partners. When the pandemic hit the world like a storm in early 2020, the global spotlight has been placed on the pharmaceutical sector.

“During the past 12 months, leading pharma manufacturers have accelerated the pharma production and distribution of their respective vaccines across the globe to address the global pandemic. In fact, according to the Bloomberg, more than 2.3 billion doses have been administered across 178 countries.

“Existing cold chain solutions will not only have to rise to the challenge, but also to enhance, cater (for) all the increased capacity requirement that would accommodate the specific temperature control restrictions specific to each vaccine. Our strategic positioning means we are able to reach more than 3.6 billion across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

“We have utilised, our expertise not only to enhance our own operations, but we have worked closely with our partners over the past month to facilitate supply chain – right from the manufacturer to the patients. The challenge of supporting global efforts to provide billions of people access to these vaccines around the world, has it presented us with additional opportunities to further cooperate with our partners.

“In addition to our support to the UAE government, our dedicated COVID-19 workforce, the founding of the HOPE Consortium with our partners here, in UAE, we have also partnered with UNICEF to aid the worldwide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the medicines, the devices and other supplies to respond to vendors. To facilitate their shipments and find the best-in-class solutions to ensure protection and integrity is maintained across the whole supply chain down to the patient. The challenge of supporting global enough force to provide billions of people access of these vaccines around the world, has it presented us with additional opportunities to further collaborate,” HOPE Consortium said.