WHO urges countries to donate 10 million Covid-19 vaccine doses of COVAX ‘immediately’

To ensure that each and every country starts immunising within the first 100 days of 2021, the World Health Organisation on Friday, March 26, had called for the donation of 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. WHO's director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during a media briefing said that though there has been a delay in the deliveries, a total of 177 countries have launched immunization campaigns. He said, “In just one month, COVAX has distributed more than 32 million vaccines to 61 countries. COVAX works”.

“There are now just 15 days left before the 100th day of the year, and 36 countries that are still waiting for COVID19 vaccines so that they can start vaccinating health workers and older people. Of those, 16 are scheduled to receive their 1st doses from COVAX within the next 15 days. That leaves 20 countries who are ready to go & waiting for vaccines. COVAX is ready to deliver, but we can’t deliver vaccines we don’t have”, said Tedros. 

In a declaration released by the WHO, the organisation called for the world leaders to increase contributions to the COVAX facility and to share doses with COVAX in parallel with national vaccine rollout. Also, it urged the vaccine manufacturers to share know-how with the World Health Organization's technology access pool, known as C-TAP. This will help in scaling up the vaccine manufacturing and dramatically increase the global supply of vaccines for the coming years. Furthermore, the organisation also asked thr leaders to prioritize supplying to COVAX over new bilateral deals.

“Distributing COVID-19 vaccines quickly and equitably is essential to end this pandemic, restart our economies and begin to tackle the other great challenges of our time, like food insecurity, inequality and the climate crisis. Health must be foundational to all development in the post-COVID world and investing in primary health care systems will be key to ending this pandemic, preparing for the next one and delivering on the vision of health for all”. read the declaration. 

Aim of COVAX 

Ghana's president Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday, March 1, became the ‘first recipient’ in the world to receive a coronavirus vaccine from COVAX. Taking to his official Twitter handle, the President made the announcement just hours before being inoculated. “I will take the vaccine this morning at the 37 Military Hospital. #TheVaccineIsSafe #IWillTakeTheVaccine”, wrote Nana.

The aim of the COVAX facility is to deliver close to two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines this year and ensure that all the citizens of the world have access to vaccines. A press release by UNICEF said, “This is a momentous occasion, as the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines into Ghana is critical in bringing the pandemic to an end. The only way out of this crisis is to ensure that vaccinations are available for all. We thank all partners that are supporting the COVAX Facility to deliver safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to all countries quickly and fairly”.

(Image Credits: AP)