Coronavirus: more than 60 rich countries adhere to the WHO vaccine access system

More than 60 rich countries, but not China or the United States, have joined the mechanism put in place by the WHO to facilitate poor countries' access to the vaccine against the coronavirus, according to the list published on Monday.

While many countries do not have the resources to develop their own vaccines, the World Health Organization announced a few weeks ago the launch, notably in collaboration with the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), of a global access device to the vaccine against Covid-19, known as COVAX (Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access; global access to the vaccine against Covid-19).

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"The aim of Covax is to work with all countries of the world"

Subsequently, the organization asked at the end of August countries that can finance themselves to make firm commitments by joining this mechanism before September 18, and to make initial payments by October 9 at the latest.

More than 90 low and middle income countries or entities will join the scheme as well as 64 high income countries, the WHO said in a statement.

These include the commitments of the European Commission on behalf of the 27 EU member states plus Norway and Iceland.

The United States, which officially confirmed its withdrawal from the WHO in early July, is not on the list.

Just like China, where the first cases of coronavirus were detected at the end of December 2019. Asked about the absence of China, the general manager of Gavi, Seth Berkley, contented himself with indicating at a press conference that "the Covax's goal is to work with all countries of the world, ”and that dialogue would continue with Beijing.

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"2 billion doses of vaccine by the end of 2021"

"Our goal is to have 2 billion doses of vaccine by the end of 2021. We are encouraged to see a large number of countries commit to the COVAX mechanism," the director told the media. WHO General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

WHO and its partners will now begin to sign formal agreements with vaccine manufacturers to obtain the doses needed "to end the acute phase of the pandemic by the end of 2021," WHO said. in the press release.

The Covax mechanism is part of the international mechanism created by the UN to accelerate equitable access to tools to fight Covid-19, the ACT Accelerator.

The UN, however, received only $ 3 billion of the $ 38 billion requested.