The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) condemned during the international group’s executive council meeting on Monday during the international group’s injustice in vaccine distribution.
Associated Press reports WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus regrets that one poorer country, identified by a WHO spokesperson as Guinea, has so far received only 25 doses for coronavirus vaccination, while almost 50 rich countries have already administered about 40 million doses.
“Only 25 doses were given in one country with the lowest income – not 25 million, and not 25,000 – only 25. I must be blunt: the world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure,” he said. Tedros said.
‘It is right that all governments want to prioritize vaccinating their own health workers and the elderly first. But it is not right for younger, healthier adults in rich countries to be vaccinated before health workers and older people in poorer countries. There will be enough vaccine for everyone, ‘he added.
“Vaccines are the shot in the arm we all need, literally and figuratively,” he said, praising the achievement of creating a vaccine, less than a year after the pandemic broke out around the world.
“But we now face the real danger that although vaccines give hope to some people, it still becomes a brick in the wall of inequality between the world of the world’s possession and possession.”
According to Tedros, COVAX, a program supported by the WHO, which seeks to distribute vaccines to all countries based on need, has secured 2 billion vaccines from five producers. Deliveries are expected to begin in February.
Tedros sued the manufacturers of vaccines for apparently preferring profits over accessibility, saying: ‘The situation is exacerbated by the fact that most manufacturers prefer regulatory approval in rich countries, where profits are highest, rather than the submit complete dossiers to the WHO. ‘
Last week, the pandemic surpassed 2 million coronavirus-related deaths as several global strains continue to emerge as in the UK, South Africa and Japan.
WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan warned that COVID-19 guidelines should still be followed during this year, even as vaccines become more available.
“It’s really important to remind people, both the government and individuals, of the responsibilities and measures we need to exercise at least for the rest of this year, because even if vaccines start to protect the most vulnerable, we are not going to achieve any levels of population immunity, herd immunity, in 2021, ”Swaminathan said.