Vaccine nationalism is a new concept in the current COVID-19 era, which is likely to hinder the global health and economic recovery causing more harm than the pandemic itself. Governments are scrambling to acquire vaccines for their populations by signing contracts with pharmaceuticals manufacturers before the vaccines become accessible to other nations. The mayhem began even before the newly developed vaccines underwent clinical trials as wealthy nations obtained more doses than they need thus leaving the poorer countries in the dark.

Although national leaders are driven by the urge to protect their people from the pandemic, countries have to unite in their response. The issue of less wealthy countries lacking access to the vaccine is a severe and collective problem since the global pandemic has already proven to destroy even the most powerful economies. Through collaboration, mutual support and consolidated resource planning, global leaders can cover the gap between the richest countries and countries of the third world.

Abu Dhabi’s Hope Consortium is the exemplar model of the collaborative response to the global pandemic. The initiative is a comprehensive set of supply chain solutions, which outlines how the vaccines can be manufactured, transferred, stored, and distributed to the vulnerable populations.

The aim of the project is to create a unified distribution network across the universe in which the wealthiest countries will support the poorest ones through strengthening and sustaining distribution channels. The system is viewed as a perfect set of effective solutions designed to distribute the vaccines globally. Not only it shows how each process is integrated across the supply chain, but also presents particular specifications of channels and technologies that must be used for high-quality delivery. It is also noteworthy that the efficiency of the solutions is based on the alignment between different governments and organizations from various sectors that can help drive the success of the system. Therefore, the Hope Consortium sends a message to vaccine nationalists that the selfish acquisition of vaccine shots will only make the case worse.

Through its efforts, it has assured the world that the only way out to counter this pandemic is to facilitate universal healthcare as an investment rather than a cost. Hence, Abu Dhabi through the Hope Consortium is among the pioneering governments in terms of supporting vaccine alliance and preventing vaccine nationalism.

Besides Abu Dhabi’s role in leading the Hope Consortium, the UAE capital performs continuous functions such as regulatory compliance, providing supply chain expertise, and offering scientific insight. Through the Hope Consortium, Abu Dhabi offers logistics expertise in managing manufactured vaccination doses of more than six billion. Also, Abu Dhabi plays a continuing role in uniting public-private players spanning the globe while ensuring that vaccines are supplied to domestic markets.

Additionally, Abu Dhabi’s Hope Consortium will host the world’s first immunization and logistics summit on the 29th and 30th of March to discuss different vaccine distribution challenges. Through the event that will feature speakers such as the Director General of the WHO, Novavax CEO, and Bill and Melinda Gates CEO – the leaders will be able to devise accessible solutions to accomplish bulk and global vaccine delivery and immunization. Abu Dhabi will address the main technological and logistical issues hampering the universal supply chain, and the trending rise in vaccine nationalism.

Last but definitely not least, Abu Dhabi’s commitment to deal with this pandemic and its desire to work very closely with its partners around the world to find the solution to coronavirus is a success story already, setting the brightest example to the world. We look forward to the day when we overcome this pandemic and life returns to normal and we’re able to fully resume economic activity, trade and travel. Let ‘We Are in This Together’ be our motto.