WeeklySA_AdminUNFAIRNESS:More than 5.7 billion vaccines administered globally, but 73% of all doses hoarded by just 10 countries…
By Mirror Reporter
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged leaders attending next week’s 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to guarantee equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and other life-saving tools to Africa.
The organisation also called on the assembly to ensure the world was better prepared to respond to future pandemics; and renew efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) takes place virtually next Wednesday.
The COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed the lives of nearly 5 million people around the globe, and the virus continues to circulate actively in all regions of the world, according to the WHO.
“Vaccines are the most critical tool to end the pandemic and save lives and livelihoods. More than 5.7 billion vaccine doses have been administered globally, but 73% of all doses have been administered in just 10 countries,” the WHO said in a statement released today.
High-income countries had administered 61 times more doses per inhabitant than low-income countries, it noted. It warned that the longer vaccine inequity persists, the more the virus would keep circulating and evolving, and the longer the social and economic disruption will continue.
WHO’s targets were to vaccinate at least 40% of the population of every country by the end of this year, and 70% by the middle of next year. These targets were achievable if countries and manufacturers make a genuine commitment to vaccine equity.
It called on countries to:
• Fulfil their dose-sharing pledges immediately and to swap their near-term vaccine deliveries with COVAX and AVAT (African COVID-19 Vaccine Acquisition Task Team);
• Manufacturers to prioritise supplies to COVAX and partners, and
• Join manufacturers in facilitating the sharing of technology, know-how and intellectual property to support regional vaccine manufacturing.
COVAX is the only global initiative that is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both higher-income and lower-income countries. So far, COVAX has shipped more than 260 million doses to 141 countries. “Even as countries focus on ending this pandemic, the world must also prepare for future pandemics and other health emergencies,” the statement added.
COVID-19 caught the world – including wealthy nations – unprepared for a pandemic of this speed and scale. It hit vulnerable populations particularly hard and exacerbated inequalities.
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