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Epidemics

UN Secretary-General Urges Rich Economies to End COVID-19 Pandemic with Vaccines

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the world's richest economies to step up support for vaccines to end the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing that no one is safe until everyone is safe. Stating that the world is at war with the virus, the Secretary-General called for decisive action, including a war economy approach to vaccine production and distribution. He also highlighted the issue of "vaccine nationalism," where rich countries have secured the majority of available vaccines, leaving poorer countries with limited access. The World Health Organization (WHO) echoed the Secretary-General's concerns, warning that people will continue to die if global disparity in vaccines persists.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UN Secretary-General called for the richest economies to take a central role in ending the COVID-19 pandemic by stepping up support for vaccines.
  • Guterres emphasized that no one is safe until everyone is safe and that the world is at war with the virus.
  • The Secretary-General advocated for a war economy approach to vaccine production and distribution to meet the needs of the global pandemic.
  • COVAX, the vaccine arm of the ACT Accelerator, has delivered 65 million doses worldwide, short of the 180 million-target, due to "vaccine nationalism" and limited production capacity.
  • Poorer countries have received a paltry 0.3% of the vaccines, with more than 80% going to rich nations.
  • The World Health Organization warned that people will continue to die if global disparity in vaccines persists.
  • WHO reported that the true number of COVID-19 deaths could be two to three times higher than the officially reported figures.
  • The WHO's State of the World's Health report found that there were at least 3 million deaths directly or indirectly attributable to the disease last year.

Statistics:

  • 165 million recorded cases of COVID-19 worldwide
  • 3.4 million deaths reported in the first year of the pandemic
  • 1.8 million deaths reported last year to the UN agency
  • 3 million deaths directly or indirectly attributable to the disease last year
  • 65 million doses delivered worldwide by COVAX
  • 180 million targeted doses for COVAX
  • 0.3% of vaccines received by poorer countries
  • 80% of vaccines received by rich nations
  • 1.2 million additional deaths predicted if data gaps in reporting continue

Sources:

  • UN News Center
  • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • ACT Accelerator
  • COVAX
  • State of the World's Health report

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