Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation representative in Myanmar has admired India for its assistance to Myanmar in the fight against the pandemic.

Dr Stephen Paul Jost, while speaking to Ravindera Jain, an Indian journalist based in Yangon, shared his perspective over the current coronavirus situation and vaccine possibility to break the chain of the virus.

Jost praised India for its contribution to Myanmar with the donation of Remdesivir, an antiviral medicine. He said, “India has been supporting Myanmar. There have been 3000 vials of antiviral drugs made available. It’s called Remdesivir, through a recent visit by the Foreign Secretary of India, and this is also much appreciated and also other supports that are there.”

He added, “As have other countries, Singapore for instance, through the Foreign Minister has recently made available 25,000 PCR-based test kits and one million masks and two hundred thousand bottles of sanitizers. As have other countries that have contributed, the United Nations family has also contributed a great deal and WHO within but there are many other agencies also UNICEF, WFP, UNOX, UNHCR and many have been helping.”

Delivering his viewpoint over the pandemic, Jost said, “Social measures that have been adopted by the National Health Authorities and by the Central Committee led by state counsellor. This leadership aspect, the political leadership, the partnership, the preventive measures, and people’s participation, those four have been critically important in overcoming this pandemic, and that will remain true for the saviour future.”

Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbors and shared a 1,640 km-long border with a number of northeastern states including Nagaland and Manipur.