TOKYO – The Japanese government will provide an emergency grant aid of US$1 million for the delivery of the antiviral drug Avigan (favipiravir) to countries with COVID-19 patients.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said that based on the requests from many countries, the Government of Japan intends to expand clinical research on Avigan in cooperation with interested countries.
Japan will provide procurement and transport of the required number of Avigan tablets as requested by beneficiary governments through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and from a pre-selected supplier.
“Japan will continue to work closely with the international community to tackle the global challenge of COVID-19,” MOFA said in a statement on April 8.
MOFA noted that each recipient government will be responsible for the use of Avigan, “which should only be used in accordance with the guidelines to be provided by the Government of Japan, as well as the applicable World Health Organization (WHO) guidance and beneficiary country’s own national legal requirements.” - Florenda Corpuz
(Photo: Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi highlights the need of united response to the COVID-19 pandemic at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting last March.)
(Credit: © Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)
