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The great hope of ending the pandemic, the anti-ovid vaccines, do not reach everyone.
The Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Monday warned of the huge inequality in the distribution of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and warned of serious consequences .
“I must be frank: the world is on the verge of catastrophic moral failure, and the price of this failure will be paid with the lives and livelihoods of the poorest countries, ”Tedros warned in the opening speech of the WHO Executive Committee, which is meeting over the next nine days .
WHO chief said it is not fair that healthy young people and young people in rich countries are accessing the vaccine before vulnerable groups in the poorest countries.
As an example, he explained that about 39 million doses of the vaccine against the virus had been distributed in 49 of the richest countries, against only 25 doses in a poor country.
Since January, China, India, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States have developed vaccines against the coronavirus, and others have been developed by multinational teams, such as Pfizer, a German-American collaboration .
Almost all of these nations have prioritized distribution to its own population.
The WHO chief considered that the “I, first” strategy was counterproductive since it will lead to higher prices and lead to the accumulation of vaccines.
“In the end, these actions prolong the pandemic, the restrictions necessary to contain it and the human and economic suffering“, aadi.
WHO chief called for full commitment to the COVAX platform, coordinated by WHO to ensure equitable access to vaccines in developing countries with financial support from developed countries, which is expected to start operating next month. .
“I challenge all Member States to ensure that by World Health Day April 7, covid-19 vaccines are being administered in all countries, as a symbol of hope to overcome both the pandemic and the inequalities that are at the root of so many global health challenges. ”
By January, over 180 countries had joined the COVAX initiative. Its aim is to unite the countries in a bloc so that they have more power in the negotiations. with pharmacists.
A total of 92 countries – all low and middle income – will purchase vaccines through a donor-funded fund.
“We got 2 billion doses from five producers, with an option for 1,000 more, and we hope with distribution in February“Tedros said.
Despite inequalities, CEO believes it is not too late to reverse the situation.
“I call on all countries to work together to ensure that in the first 100 of this to, vaccination of health workers and the elderly is underway in all countries. ”
Last month, the People’s Vaccine Alliance, a network of organizations that includes Amnesty International, Oxfam and Global Justice Now, denounced that rich countries were piling up doses of anti-ovid vaccines and warned that people in poor countries were being left behind. .
The coalition noted that around 70 low-income countries they can only vaccinate one in 10 people.
Canada, in particular, has come under heavy criticism; The coalition denounced that the country had requested enough doses of vaccines to protect all Canadians about five times.
In December, Canadian International Development Minister Karina Gould dismissed claims that the country was stockpiling vaccines, stressing that any debate over a surplus it was something “hypothetical” since the doses had not been delivered.
Gould assured that Canada is allocating US $ 380 million to help developing countries in their fight against COVID-19.
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