New Delhi [India], September 20 (ANI): Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday announced that in the fourth quarter this year, the Government of India will resume Vaccine Maitri, an initiative to provide Covid vaccines to countries around the world and also fulfil its responsibility under Covax.

"Under Vaccine Maitri, we will help the world and contribute to Covax in the fourth quarter," Mandaviya said to reporters.

He also announced that next month government is expecting more than 30 crore doses from vaccine manufacturers.

"We expect to get more than 30 crore doses of COVID vaccine next month. The production will go up as Biological E and other companies are bringing their vaccines into the market," he added.

Health Minister estimated the target of the fourth quarter this year to be around 100 crores and highlighted that vaccination of own citizens is topmost priority.

Meanwhile, with the administration of 37,78,296 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage surpassed the landmark figure of 80 crores (80,85,68,144) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 79,78,302 sessions.

Vaccine Maitri is a humanitarian initiative undertaken by India to provide made-in-India COVID-19 vaccines to other countries around the world. The government had started providing the vaccines to other countries since January 20, 2021.

"We have worked with the international community to respond to this pandemic. The COVID-19 vaccines being made in India are being shared with over 80 countries through our Vaccine Maitri initiative, a key step towards addressing inequities in vaccine distribution across the world. India's ancient philosophy of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam' exalts the entire world as one family," former Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had said on April 7 while addressing the World Health Organisation (WHO) South East Asia Regional Office through video conference on World Health Day. (ANI)