The Group of Seven (G7) rich nations is set to agree on establishing a new programme to distribute vaccines to developing countries at next week’s summit of leaders, Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper said on Saturday.

In addition to the G7, G20 nations such as India and international groups such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank will participate, it added, citing Japanese government sources.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVAX facility, backed by WHO and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), delivered nearly 2 billion doses of coronavirus vaccine to 146 countries.