Rich countries accused of monopolizing vaccines -

Federico Gambarini / AP / SIPA

WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Monday that the world would face a "catastrophic moral failure" if rich countries monopolized Covid-19 vaccines to the detriment of poor countries.

“I have to be frank.

The world is on the brink of catastrophic moral failure, and the price of this failure will be paid by the lives and livelihoods of the world's poorest countries, ”said the Director General of the World Organization. Health.

Only 25 doses for a poor country

In a speech at the opening of a meeting of the executive council of the UN organization in Geneva, he lambasted the "selfish" attitude of rich countries and sharply criticized vaccine manufacturers who seek regulatory approval in states. wealthy rather than submitting their data to the WHO to get a global green light for vaccine use.

Believing that the promise of equitable access across the world to vaccines against the coronavirus was now compromised, the head of the WHO stressed that 39 million doses of the vaccine against the coronavirus had already been administered in at least 49 rich countries .

At the same time, “only 25 doses were administered in one of the lowest income countries.

Not 25 million, not 25,000, just 25 ”, he lamented.

No fairness, no collective immunity

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus felt that while some countries wanted reassurance about equitable access to vaccines, they were prioritizing their own agreements with manufacturers, driving up prices and trying to bypass queues.

He said 44 agreements had been concluded in 2020 between these countries and manufacturers, and at least 12 signed since the start of the year.

"The situation is made worse by the fact that most manufacturers have prioritized regulatory approval in wealthy countries where the profits are the highest, rather than submitting complete dossiers to the WHO," he said. he lamented.

"Not only does this selfish approach endanger the poorest and most vulnerable in the world, it is also doomed to failure," he warned.

“Ultimately, these actions will only prolong the pandemic and our suffering, as well as the restrictions necessary to contain it, and the human and economic suffering,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

World

Coronavirus: WHO calls for more sequencing on new variants

Health

Coronavirus: No collective immunity in 2021 despite vaccines, according to WHO

  • Coronavirus

  • Covid 19

  • Oms

  • Vaccine

  • Health