Historically, vaccines have impacted significantly the spread of infectious diseases such as smallpox, polio, measles, and yellow fever. The eradication of smallpox was an outstanding display of concerted global action in a war against microbial invaders. The progress in expanding polio and measles vaccination efforts and their elimination from many regions further demonstrated that vaccines are among the most powerful public health tools.

Mr Azad said that India is committed to new forms of partnership with low-income countries through innovative support mechanisms and South-South cooperation. He hoped that this joint venture will collectively shape the future of India's inputs into the global HIV vaccine development attempts.