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The 148th session of the WHO Executive Board was held in Geneva, Switzerland, via videoconference.
In his speech here, Ghebreyesus called on countries for global solidarity for the equitable and fair distribution of Kovid-19 vaccines to all countries.
“ANOTHER BRICK TO THE WALL OF INEQUALITY …”
Emphasizing that the availability of “safe and effective” Kovid-19 vaccines in less than 1 year after the Kovid-19 epidemic broke out in Wuhan, China, Ghebreyesus said: “But now, although vaccines provide hope to some, the inequality between the rich and the poor of the world we are in danger of becoming another brick in the wall. ” warned.
Ghebreyesus emphasized that some rich countries prioritize bilateral agreements with vaccine-producing companies, without naming it, which puts the Kovid-19 Global Access to Vaccines Program (COVAX) at risk, in which 190 countries participated.
Stating that 44 bilateral agreements were signed between high-income countries and vaccine companies in 2020, and at least 12 this year, Ghebreyesus said:
“THE WORLD IS IN THE BREAKING OF FAITHFUL MORAL FAILURE”
“So far, at least 49 high-income countries have administered more than 39 million doses of vaccine. A low-income country has only received 25 doses. Not 25 million, not 25 thousand, only 25. I have to be frank, the The world is on the brink of catastrophic moral failure. And the cost will be paid by human life and livelihoods in the world’s poorest countries. “
The COVAX program, coordinated by WHO, is seen as a global initiative that aims to develop, produce and distribute the potential Kovid-19 vaccine to all countries, especially low- and middle-income countries.
Kovid-19’s faster spread type made the situation even more complicated
The director of the WHO Emergency Program, Mike Ryan, pointed out that vaccines alone cannot end the epidemic.
Noting that 93,000 people died worldwide from Kovid-19 last week, Ryan said that “global deaths from the virus are expected to exceed 100,000 per week soon.”
Sharing the information that 47 percent of current deaths occur in the Americas, Ryan stated that deaths in Europe are still at a high level.
Ryan, describing the epidemiological situation as “dynamic and disorganized,” noted that the more rapidly spreading Kovid-19 strain further complicated the situation.