The European Union and its Member States have made a huge contribution to the COVAX mechanism, showing that international solidarity and multilateral cooperation in the fight against the global pandemic is at the heart of our action, at the time when all our governments are facing the challenge of vaccine availability, in the race against a new wave.

Team Europe has provided €2.2 billion, including €1 billion from the EU budget, for the COVAX mechanism. The EU together with its Member States, is one of the largest donor to this initiative.

The COVAX initiative, led by CEPI, GAVI, UNICEF and WHO, is an excellent example of how much we can do, hand in hand with Guinea-Bissau, if we are all concerted and true to the core values of cooperation between peoples.

"We all believe that together we can do better for the welfare of the people of Guinea-Bissau" said the Ambassador of the European Union, Sónia Neto, at the ceremony of the vaccines hand over.