Duterte calls for universal access to Covid vaccine – The Manila Times

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte renewed his call for universal access to a vaccine against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), saying it would be a “great injustice” if poor or developing countries were left behind on the road to recovery. of the global health crisis.

In a pre-recorded speech during the special session of the United Nations General Assembly on the response to the coronavirus, Duterte reiterated the Philippines’ call for greater solidarity and greater cooperation to address the challenges brought on by the pandemic.

“Life-saving products and services must be accessible to the most vulnerable, from most to least. The Philippines reiterates the call for universal access to safe and effective vaccines and technologies from Covid-19, ”Duterte said in his speech broadcast Friday morning.

He said leaving a nation behind on the road to post-pandemic recovery “because of poverty or lack of strategic importance” is a “great injustice that will haunt the world for a long time.”

Duterte also urged governments to act “not as separate nations, but as one humanity” to address the health crisis.

Likewise, the president expressed his strong support for the global medical and scientific initiatives of the World Health Organization, such as Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access or Covax Facility.

The Covax facility, joined by the Philippines, is a mechanism designed to ensure prompt, fair and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines around the world.

Countries representing about 64 percent of the world’s population or about 156 states have joined Covax, including China, the largest economy supporting the initiative so far. Neither the United States nor Russia have signed up.

Duterte said the pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of society, prompting the Philippines to prioritize strengthening its health system.

“Our first priority is to strengthen the capacity of health systems. Without a cure and a vaccine, we can only slow the spread of the disease while we reopen our economies, ”he said.

At the same time, the lockdowns “have forced us to make the most of technology and innovation. It has accelerated the adoption of e-commerce, e-learning, video conferencing and artificial intelligence, ”he said.

The Philippines, which is said to have the longest Covid-19 lockdown in the world, has applied various levels of community quarantine since March to prevent transmission while at the same time slowly reopening the economy.

More than 64.5 million people around the world have been infected with Covid-19, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University on Thursday. The death toll stands at 1.49 million.

In the Philippines, as of Thursday, 435,413 cases of Covid-19 have been registered, of which 399,325 have recovered and 8,446 people have died.

The country’s Covid-19 task force is looking to administer vaccines from different manufacturers to at least 70 million Filipinos.

The vaccination program will run for three to five years, with 25 to 30 million Filipinos vaccinated each year.

Duterte also called for a “global ceasefire” as the coronavirus pandemic “aggravated threats to peace and security” in many parts of the world.

He said lawless elements exploited the pandemic for their cruel intentions, paralyzing the response capacity of governments.

“The lawless are a weapon in this health crisis. They let Covid-19 cause the worst in the population, ”Duterte said.

“This is an uncomfortable truth, but one that we must face head-on,” he added.

While the Philippines wants to guarantee medical care to Filipinos, Duterte said that fighting terrorism “is as urgent now as it was before the pandemic.”

During the session, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, emphasized that a global ceasefire was vital so that countries could focus their efforts on fighting the virus.

“I echoed this call in my speech to the General Assembly in September and called for new efforts and commitments to silence the guns by the end of the year,” Guterres said.

Duterte’s call for a global ceasefire came when the Armed Forces of the Philippines announced Thursday that they would not recommend a holiday truce with communist rebels.

Malacañang said Thursday that Duterte has yet to decide on the recommendation, but said “the president gives it a lot of weight.”

The Philippines continues to experience terrorism. Last August, two successive bomb blasts in Jolo, Sulu, killed several soldiers and civilians and injured 40 others.

In addition to the siege of the city of Marawi in 2017, other terrorist acts include the attack on the Jolo cathedral in 2019 and the bombing of the Davao city night market in September 2016.