UN chief addresses vaccine gap, says 'we need a global vaccination campaign'

Having called the vaccine distribution gap between rich and poor nations a catastrophic moral failure, Secretary-General of the United Nations on January 31 blasted wealthier nations for hoarding vaccines. More than 70 million #COVID19 vaccine doses have been administered so far and less than 20,000 of these were on the African continent, said UN chief Antonio Guterres in a tweet. He raised concerns about vaccine disparity between rich and poor countries.

Several concerns have been raised to address the vaccine gap between the rich and poor. A Guardian analysis revealed Canada is among a few other countries to have the highest number of vaccine doses relative to their populations. The country has procured enough supplies to give each person at least four doses, the analytical report stated. 

"Nine out of ten people in poor countries are set to miss out on COVID-19 vaccine even next year,” a report by Amnesty International said, issuing a similar warning. Rich countries have hoarded enough doses to vaccinate their entire populations nearly 3 times over, it alleged. “Wealthier nations have bought up enough doses to vaccinate their entire populations nearly three times over by the end of 2021 if those currently in clinical trials are all approved for use," Amnesty report said, earlier. 

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"No one should be blocked from getting a life-saving vaccine because of the country they live in or the amount of money in their pocket. But unless something changes dramatically, billions of people around the world will not receive a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 for years to come," Oxfam’s Health Policy Manager, Anna Marriott warned. The WHO, meanwhile, reiterated Amnesty’s concerns.

55 doses in Guinea

WHO stated, that more than 80 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been bought by rich countries and 55 doses were gone in just one low-income country, Guinea. Only 'few' Guinean public officials were vaccinated in December with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine on an experimental basis, the Associated Press reported. "Then nobody was vaccinated after that," the agency asserted, citing the Guinea health ministry.
 

Meanwhile, in a dire warning to the world, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference that the rich countries' ‘behaviour’ will prolong the coronavirus pandemic, and increase human and economic suffering. "More than 39 million doses of vaccine have now been administered in at least 49 higher-income countries. Just 25 doses have been given in one lowest-income country. Not 25 million; not 25,000; just 25," Tedros said at a virtual meeting of the WHO Executive Board, streamed live. 

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