UN chief salutes countries like India for helping others in fight against Covid-19

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses countries helping others within the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, his spokesman has said, days after India sent supplies of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to many nations, including the US.

Hydroxychloroquine has been recognised by the US Food and Drug Administration as a possible treatment for the COVID-19, and it's being tested on over 1,500 coronavirus patients in New york.

The demand for the drug has increased rapidly within the previous few days after India determined to lift a ban on its export.

"The Secretary-General calls for global solidarity during this struggle against the virus, which indicates that every country who is during a position to assist another country should. And we praise those countries that are doing so," UN chief Antonio Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at the daily press briefing on Friday.

He was answering a question on Guterres' reaction to India's efforts to send medicine and other supplies to other countries amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

New Delhi lifted a ban on the export of the anti-malaria drug, seen as a possible cure for COVID-19.

India is within the process of supplying hydroxychloroquine to 55 coronavirus-hit countries as grants also as on a commercial basis.

Several nations, including the US, Mauritius and Seychelles, have previously received the drug within the past few days while several others will get it by the weekend.

In the neighbourhood, India is exporting the drug to Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh Nepal, the Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, sources stated.

India is additionally supplying hydroxychloroquine to Zambia, Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Uganda, land, Niger, Mali, Congo, Egypt, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Ecuador, Jamaica, Syria, Ukraine, Chad, Zimbabwe, France, Jordan, Kenya, European nation, Nigeria, Oman and Peru.

In a recent telephonic conversation, US President Donald Trump requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to permit the sale of hydroxychloroquine tablets ordered by the US to treat the growing number of coronavirus patients in his country.

Trump had praised Modi for his strong leadership and said that India's help during this crisis wouldn't be forgotten.

Special Envoy from the Dominican Republic to UN Ambassador Jose Singer and President of the council for April expressed gratitude to India for the donation of 200,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets to his country.

"Dear Ambassador! My country, the Dominican Republic, is so grateful for this help in challenging times!!!" The singer said in response to a tweet by India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin on India's donating the medicines to the Caribbean nation.