Health

Guterres condemns “vaccine nationalism” in fight against Covid-19

United Nations, Oct 7 (EFE).- The world has failed to reach vaccine equity due to vaccine hoarding and nationalism, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres claimed Thursday.

“Instead of global coordinated action to get vaccines where they are needed most, we have seen vaccine hoarding, vaccine nationalism and vaccine diplomacy,” Guterres told reporters at a World Health Organization news briefing.

“Vaccine inequality is the best ally of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.

The WHO Covid-19 strategy presented Thursday plans to vaccinate 40% of the population in all countries by the end of the year and 70% by mid-2022.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said even though 6.4 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide, the numbers “mask a horrifying inequity” and the world stands at a “precipice of failure” in vaccine equity.

According to the WHO, 56 countries did not reach the target to vaccinate 10% of their population by the end of September.

“High and upper income countries have used 75% of all vaccines produced so far, low income countries have received less than half of 1% of the world’s vaccines and in Africa, less than 5% of people are fully vaccinated,” he said.

The Director-General urged doses to go where they are most needed.

“We have the tools to bring the pandemic under control if we use them properly and share them fairly,” he added. EFE

fjo/mp/ds

Related Articles

Back to top button