Is Australia falling short in responding to COVID-19 in the Pacific?

To date, Australia has contributed 130 million Australian dollars ($100 million) to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment. But in getting COVID-19 vaccines to the Pacific, questions are being raised on whether it will deliver. “We know that, through multilateral agencies, notwithstanding the best of intentions, in many ways and on many occasions the Pacific does not necessarily achieve the priority that we think it deserves,” Marise Payne, Australia’s foreign minister, told Senate estimates on June 4 when asked whether Australia was doing it’s fair share for the global response. Instead, Payne said the “strong and very important” bilateral aid program in the region would be Australia’s focus for funding. According to DFAT, it is an ‘outlier’ approach Penny Wong, shadow minister for foreign affairs, said Australia's contribution to COVAX is approximately $4.30 for every person, compared with $15.70 for the United States, $16.60 for the United Kingdom, $28.90 for Canada, and $29.60 for Germany. “Are you really saying that [AU]$130 million in the face of the global pandemic is enough, leaving aside the obvious ethical responsibility?” she asked. “We know that we don't beat this until we beat it everywhere. We know the consequences of large unvaccinated populations in developing countries, or in any country, and we are seeing them.” The argument from Payne and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is that Australia instead directs their money through the bilateral aid program, which includes AU$523 million being delivered through the Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative. This scheme includes the delivery of Australian manufactured AstraZeneca vaccines to the Pacific. In comparison to COVAX, Payne believed that this method “assists in absolutely ensuring the delivery of vaccines to [Pacific] countries.” Other countries are using bilateral aid programs to assist in vaccine rollouts on top of contributing to COVAX. The U.S. Agency for International Development has contributed direct funds to support the vaccine rollout to support various countries, including Indonesia, Malawi, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda. But when asked whether “linked-minded” countries were contributing to bilateral programs in addition to multilateral initiatives, the answer from the DFAT was “no.” “That is the point,” Rod Hilton, first assistant secretary at DFAT’s Human Development and Governance Division, said at the Senate estimates. “We actually are quite an outlier.” With a growing number of COVID-19 cases in the Pacific and Southeast Asia, including Fiji, which recorded a pandemic peak of 94 confirmed cases on June 9, contributions regardless of the channels are being welcomed. “In my engagements with Gavi, [the Vaccine Alliance], and the [World Health Organization] — including with the WHO regional director, Dr. Takeshi [Kasai], who is very focused right now on Papua New Guinea — they have been warmly appreciative of the work and the contribution that we are doing, both multilaterally and regionally,” Payne said. But Hilton also confirmed Australia is being asked to do more to contribute to the global health response, including COVAX, as part of bilateral discussions. Vaccine negotiations are continuing The issue of securing vaccines for the Pacific remains. DFAT confirmed that discussions are continuing with the European Union and AstraZeneca regarding previous requests to secure one million doses, despite Australia’s local manufacturing capability. “The request was for the release of one million doses of the 3.1 million that are still outstanding under Australia's advance purchase agreement with AstraZeneca,” said Robin Davies, head at the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security. “Many representations were made to the European Commission and European governments, including during [Trade Minister Dan] Tehan's visit to Europe. Following that visit, the focus has now moved to direct engagement with AstraZeneca.” According to Davies, EU export restrictions do not apply to the 92 COVAX-eligible countries, and the challenge now is on AstraZeneca's capacity to supply. “It is well-known that production is constrained in India and that supply is generally constrained,” he said. “But we are optimistic that at some point in the coming months, they will be able to release those doses, particularly for use in PNG.” In Europe, Payne said Australia’s requests are “not being met with the response that we would have hoped for” due to the “significant issues” between AstraZeneca and the EU legally. A plant in Thailand, which is just gearing up for production, is also a possible avenue for more supplies despite increasing local COVID-19 cases there. A rush to spend before June 30 Australia’s financial year ends on June 30, and as the deadline is fast approaching, DFAT was rushing to get money out of the door as part of COVID-19 responses. On May 20, Payne announced “additional financing support” for PNG. This was money already allocated in the 2020-21 budget but unable to be announced because negotiations for how it would be spent were still ongoing with PNG. “The AU$52 million for PNG was always planned,” said Danielle Heinecke, first assistant secretary at DFAT’s office of the Pacific. “We have negotiated that with PNG over the last few months.” But the impact of politics also meant that funding was being shifted between countries to meet financial year deadlines. “There is AU$5 million that we have recently reallocated to Fiji from Samoa, given Samoa's caretaker situation, which didn't enable them to sign on to a direct financing agreement with Australia,” Heinecke said.