WHO, Health Leaders call for a prompt global cooperation to end up vaccine crisis in deprived nations

The global health agency, WHO with a group of health leaders urged for a global cooperation to accomplish the ascertained goals of COVID-pandemic related health emergency and for an equitable distribution of vaccines to the deprived or lower/middle income nations and Africa.

An extensive call was made under the leadership of WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus joined by Dr Seth Berkley, CEO Gavi, Strive Masiyima, AU Special Envoy for COVID- 19, Dr John Nkengasong, Africa CDC Director, Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Afreximbank, Dr Vera Songwe, UN Under- Secretary- General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission For Africa and Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa during a media briefing at WHO’s headquarter in Geneva on 14^th September 2021.

Taking a dig at the current health emergency, Dr. Tedros stated, “More than 5.7 billion doses have been administered globally, but only 2% of those have been administered in Africa. This doesn’t only hurt the people of Africa, it hurts all of us. The longer vaccine inequity persists, the more the virus will keep circulating and changing, the longer the social and economic disruption will continue, and the higher the chances that more variants will emerge that render vaccines less effective.”

In the last week of August, the multilateral Leaders Taskforce on COVID-19 (MLT), the chiefs of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, World Health Organisation and World Trade Organisation conducted a meet with the leaders of the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), Africa CDC, GAVI and UNICEF to discuss the issues of vaccine equity and scaling up its production in low and lower-middle income nations, especially in Africa.

The leaders pondered over the progress of production and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the globe as an alarming challenge. Less that 2 percent of the adults are fully vaccinated in most of the low-middle income nations compared to almost 50 percent in the high income nations.

As per WHO’s report- lower/middle income countries, the majority of which are in Africa, simply cannot access sufficient vaccine to meet even the global goals of 10% coverage in all countries by September and 40% by end 2021, let alone the African Union’s goal of 70% in 2022. The crisis of vaccine inequity is driving a dangerous divergence in COVID-19 survival rates and in the global economy. Both the associations - AVAT and COVAX could exemplify in addressing the health predicament towards a more satisfying end.

Meanwhile, AU Special Envoy for COVID- 19, Strive Masiyima spoke about the waiving of the Intellectual Property Rights to have full access to COVID-19 vaccines in Africa, saying, "Vaccine sharing is good but we shouldn't have to be relying on vaccine sharing. Particularly when we can come to the table, put structures in place and say, we also want to buy.” He further added, “American taxpayers, European taxpayers, they financed some of this intellectual property and it should be for the common good. So, it is not wrong that we say there should be waivers, it was for the common good. So, we ask for this IP to be made available.”

In a recent development, American President Joe Biden’s administration had announced to support waiving for Intellectual Property Protection for COVID-19 vaccines under the World Trade Organisation’s agreement on trade-related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

The Chief Executive Officer of GAVI, Dr Seth Berkley emphasised over the spirit of togetherness to overcome the pandemic challenges. He stated, “Today’s meeting is important, as it symbolises the spirit of partnership between COVAX, the African Union and AVAT: Africa needs more doses and together we will get them.”

Further he added, “We're poised to embark on the busiest period of what is the largest and most complex vaccine rollout in history. We've demonstrated that COVAX can work at scale, but it's really time for the world to get behind it.”

The World Health Organisation has proposed a target to vaccinate at least 10% of the population of every country by September this year, at least 40% by the end of the year, and 70% globally by the middle of next year. Almost 90% of high-income countries have now reached the 10% target, and more than 70% have reached the 40% target. Not a single low-income country has reached either target. Globally, 5.5 billion vaccine doses have been administered, but 80% have been administered in high- and upper-middle income countries.

Courtesy- WHO

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