Vaccine must be seen as a global public good, said Antonio Guterres (File)
London:
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday that a new coronavirus vaccine must be available to everyone around the world, while an international conference is underway to raise funds for new life-saving treatments.
The virtual meeting, organized by Britain, aims to raise $ 7.4 billion for immunization programs blocked by the pandemic and to launch a new fundraising campaign to support potential COVID-19 vaccines.
In a video message, Guterres said: “A vaccine should be seen as a global public good – a popular vaccine, which an increasing number of world leaders are calling for.”
There had to be “global solidarity to ensure that everyone, everywhere, has access,” he added.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for a “new era of global health cooperation” to “unite humanity in the fight against disease”, especially in the poorest countries.
More than 50 countries are participating in the meeting, as well as individuals such as the billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, to raise funds for Gavi, the vaccine alliance.
Over the next five years, he wants to restart interrupted programs and provide very low-cost vaccines to some 300 million children worldwide.
Gavi and its partners will also launch a fundraising campaign to purchase potential COVID-19 vaccines, increase their production and support delivery to developing countries.
The pandemic has revealed new disruptions in international cooperation, notably with the decision of US President Donald Trump to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO).
But Johnson said aid to developing countries would benefit places like Britain, which killed more than 39,000 people in the coronavirus epidemic – the second highest in the world behind the United States.
“This support for routine immunizations will strengthen the health systems of the poorest countries to fight the coronavirus – and thus help stem the worldwide spread,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
“This virus has shown how connected we are. We are fighting an invisible enemy. And no one is really safe until we are all safe.”
All at risk
Trump sent a recorded message to the conference, telling delegates, “As the coronavirus has shown, there are no borders. It does not discriminate.
“It’s nasty, it’s nasty. But we can all take care of it together … we’ll work hard. We will work hard.”
Microsoft founder Gates said earlier that the pharmaceutical companies have worked together to try to secure the required production capacity.
“It is incredible, the pharmaceutical companies said” yes, even if our vaccine is not the best, we will make our factories available “,” he said on BBC radio.
The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 380,000 people since its appearance in China last December, according to a count of official AFP sources.
Home residence orders have been imposed around the world, causing enormous economic disruption and the suspension of many routine immunization services.
WHO, the United Nations Children’s Agency UNICEF and Gavi warned last month that immunization services have been interrupted in nearly 70 countries, affecting around 80 million children under the age of one.
Polio eradication campaigns have been suspended in dozens of countries, while measles vaccination campaigns have also been suspended in 27 countries, UNICEF said.
António Guterres urged the conference to commit to finding “safe ways to continue administering vaccines, even if COVID-19 spreads” and to make sure that any coronavirus vaccine “reaches everyone” .
Recent modeling supported by Gavi of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has estimated that for every death of coronavirus prevented by stopping vaccination campaigns in Africa, up to 140 people could die from vaccine-preventable diseases.
“More children in more countries are now protected from more illness than at any time in history,” said Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi.
“However, these historic advances in global health are now at risk of collapsing as COVID-19 unprecedentedly disrupts immunization programs worldwide.
“We are faced with the very real prospect of a global resurgence of diseases like measles, polio and yellow fever, which would put us all at risk.”
(This story has not been edited by GalacticGaming staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
