CHINA’S smear campaign in the State-owned media outlets against India’s vaccine distribution in the neighbourhood countries is a ready pointer of the global success of New Delhi’s health diplomacy. The “Vaccine Maitri” drive undertaken to gift COVID doses to friendly countries has started healing the neighbours. It is bound to be a gamechanger for India’s diplomatic strategy while countering a chequebook-rich China.

 

The vaccine diplomacy has already become a major talking point across the world as top nations and global institutes are heaping praise on India’s preparedness and goodwill to aid humanity in a time of crisis. Staying true to its promise to help the neighbours counter the deadly virus, India has successfully managed to demarcate vaccine doses for its first line of beneficiaries while gifting over 50 lakh doses in the neighbourhood as part of vaccine diplomacy drive. Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Mauritius and Seychelles have already received vaccine consignments. Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are next in line of the beneficiaries once the local drug controllers clear the Covishield vaccines. Brazil and Morocco have lifted commercial supplies while profusely thanking India for the most-healing touch. The United Kingdom and Belgium also want to procure Indian vaccines while Dominica has sent an SOS “with all humility and respect” to Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi for help. The world is turning to India for vaccination and to come out of the worst pandemic witnessed by humanity.

 

This situation is in dark contrast with what the top nations and health agencies had predicted when the Novel Coronavirus, purportedly originating from China’s Wuhan province, entered India early last year. Countries plush with healthcare facilities had put India on the top of the doomsday list, announcing a destruction of catastrophic proportions. It’s a strange irony that the those very nations are now grappling with mounting death toll while India has rolled out the world’s biggest vaccination drive at home and at the same time leading the global response through its indigenous, costeffective and safe vaccines. India is hailed as pharmacy of the world for being the largest producer of generic medicines. It also meets 62 per cent of the global demand for vaccines.

 

Ever since the humanitarian disaster broke out, India has been on the forefront in leading the healthcare response through its no-strings-attached foreign policy. New Delhi was at the forefront in drawing up strategies to counter the spread of the virus, supplying medicines and safety kits to various nations in need. While top countries opted for isolation of its medical resources, New Delhi was leading the supplies of hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol once marked as treatment for COVID-19. India’s health diplomacy is driven by the guiding principle from the Upanishads, Sarv Santu Niramaya (May all be free from disease). New Delhi was the first to sponsor a World Health Organisation (WHO) resolution calling for international cooperation in ensuring access to vaccines. Vaccine nationalism was the biggest fear the WHO was talking about once the doses were ready. India’s vaccine diplomacy has proved it credentials as a goodwill ambassador for the entire world, unmindful of the political or geographical boundaries. The health diplomacy comes withe foreign-policy benefits in various strategic areas. Vaccine diplomacy has handed India an opportunity to resolve contentious border issues with Nepal. The tilt and change in tone from Nepal’s leadership during recent visit were indication that Kathmandu is ready to mend fences with New Delhi. Another development that has gone India’s way is the no-show by China on the vaccine front despite promising free doses for Nepal as well as Bangladesh. India was the first to reach out to these strategically important neighbours who are on the Chinese debt-trap radar. The ‘Vaccine Maitri’ will definitely go a long way in rekindling old warmth in neighbourhood.