Delayed vaccines are a denied development for Africa – World leaders and artists at UNDP special event

Achieving “One Shot for All” is not a luxury, but rather an urgent global development priority.

Leading executives and personalities gathered today on the sidelines of the 76^e session of the United Nations General Assembly to mobilize in favor of equity in vaccines and underline the urgency of finding concrete solutions for rapid and universal access to vaccines for all, in particular those in developing countries and marginalized communities in Africa.

Organized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Event , moderated by English presenter of Al Jazeera, Folly Bah Thibault, represented a call to action to governments and development partners to reconsider vaccine production, supply, distribution and financing and how to address the impact of the current COVID-19 crisis.

“Delaying immunization in low-income countries and regions like Africa may not be the way forward. The stakes are just too high. Ending vaccine inequalities must be seen as a global public good and a development priority for all, ”said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator.

Speakers from world leaders in industry and medicine joined the global call to accelerate and prioritize equity in COVID-19 vaccines as not only a way to end the pandemic, but also to stimulate economic and social opportunities that will help developing countries, especially in Africa, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

These speakers included HE Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo; HE Stefan Löfven, Prime Minister of Sweden; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization; and Dr John Nkengasong, director of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

They agreed that multilateralism is paramount to ending the pandemic, and they described African solutions to ensure that no one is left behind in the recovery of COVID-19, such as increased vaccine manufacture, unblocking bottlenecks bottlenecks in the supply chain and investing in local innovations and capacities. .

The audience was also treated to a performance by award-winning Nigerian singer Patoranking and Kenyan percussionist and activist Kasiva Mutua, who also highlighted the impact of the pandemic on artists and their ability to inspire action.

Other personalities included Dr Edem Adzogenu of Afro Champions; Dr Yvonne Mburu, CEO of Nexakili and member of the Presidential Council of France for Africa; Dr Admassu Tadesse, Director of the Trade Development Bank; and Kwabena Ayirebi, Director of Banking Operations at the African Import-Export Bank.

Speakers agreed that urgent action is needed now to invest in development that saves lives, creates jobs, protects the planet, integrates technology and leaves no one behind.

“A two-way recovery is not a recovery. The world is crying out for more justice. We cannot beat the pandemic if half the world experiences a vaccine famine. To delay vaccines is to deny development. We will continue to do our utmost to give every African a chance to live and enable every African country to progress in smarter, stronger and more sustainable ways, ”said Ahunna Eziakonwa, UNDP Director of the Regional Office for the United Nations. Africa.