Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) condemned what he called inequity in the global distribution of vaccines during the international group’s executive committee meeting on Monday.
The Associated Press reports the Director-General of WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus complained that a poorer country, identified by a WHO spokesman as Guinea, had so far received only 25 doses of coronavirus vaccines, while almost 50 richer countries had already administered about 40 million doses.
“Only 25 doses were given in a low-income country – not 25 million, not 25,000 – only 25. I have to be straightforward: the world is on the brink of catastrophic moral failure,” Tedros said.
“It is right that all governments want to give priority to vaccinating their own health care workers and the elderly. But it is not right for younger and healthier adults in rich countries to be vaccinated in front of health workers and older people in poorer countries. There will be enough vaccine for everyone, “he added.
“Vaccines are the blow we all need, literally and figuratively,” he said, praising the creation of a vaccine less than a year after the pandemic broke out around the world.
“But now we face the real danger that even if vaccines bring hope to some, they become another brick in the wall of inequality between the worlds of those who have and those who do not.”
According to Tedros, COVAX, a WHO-supported program that seeks to distribute vaccines to all countries as needed, has provided 2 billion vaccines from five manufacturers. Deliveries are expected to begin in February.
Tedros criticized vaccine manufacturers for seeming to prioritize profits over accessibility, saying: “The situation is exacerbated by the fact that most manufacturers have given priority to regulatory approval in rich countries, where profits are highest, rather than filing. to the WHO ”.
Last week, the pandemic exceeded 2 million coronavirus-related deaths as more new strains continue to appear around the world, such as the United Kingdom, South Africa and Japan.
WHO scientist Soumya Swaminathan warned that the COVID-19 guidelines still need to be followed throughout this year, even as vaccines become more available.
“It is really important to remind people, both the government and individuals, of the responsibilities and measures we need to practice for at least the rest of this year, because even as vaccines begin to protect the most vulnerable, we we will achieve any level of population immunity, herd immunity, in 2021, ”Swaminathan said.