Climate activist Greta Thunberg has announced that she will not be attending the COP26 scheduled for November in Glasgow if vaccine inequalities do not resolve.

She points to the lack of vials of anti-Covid vaccine in the poorest countries.

According to the WHO, the African continent has injected only 2% of the 708.4 million doses already administered worldwide. 

The figure of the fight against climate change, Greta Thunberg, does not plan to attend the great COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November to protest against inequalities in access to coronavirus vaccines between rich and poor countries, has t -she declared Friday to AFP.

"Due to the extremely inequitable distribution of vaccines, I will not be going to the COP26 conference if the situation continues as it is today," said the Swedish activist.

Greta Thunberg calls for postponing COP26

The young woman, who celebrated her 18th birthday in early January, called on the British government to postpone again the COP26, already postponed for the first time because of the health situation, if the vaccine inequalities between countries did not allow equal access of participants and activists.

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The figure of the "Fridays for Future" movement and the school strikes for the climate called on rich countries to share their doses with populations at risk in poor countries "rather than vaccinating healthy young people".

"If this is not possible, I suggest postponing (COP26) so that everyone can participate in the same conditions," she told AFP, confirming information from the BBC.

"Inequalities (between rich and poor countries) in the face of the climate crisis are such a glaring subject, that it would only deepen this aspect" if the COP26 were maintained on that date, she pleaded.

Everyone must participate on an "equal footing"

Postponed for a year because of the coronavirus, the 26th United Nations Conference of the Parties on climate change is due to take place from November 1 to 12 in Glasgow, Scotland, in an attempt to respond to the climate emergency.

While the subject has been largely overshadowed by the pandemic, COP26 is seen as an opportunity to bring the climate issue back to the fore.

The absence of Greta Thunberg, who is campaigning for immediate and rapid greenhouse gas reduction targets rather than ten or thirty year horizons, would appear to be a setback.

The young Swede does not rule out reversing her decision, however, if vaccine inequality improves, she stressed.

"Of course I would love to participate in COP26, but only if everyone is on an equal footing," she said.

"Low income" countries administered only 0.1% of global doses

The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to warn of the health risks posed by the different rates of vaccination between rich and poor countries, calling for a reduction in "vaccine nationalism".

At least 708.4 million doses of anti-Covid vaccines have been administered worldwide, according to a count made Thursday by AFP from official sources.

But strong inequalities remain between "high income" countries, which concentrate almost half of the doses administered, and "low income" countries, where only 0.1% of the doses were administered.

Africa remains "on the margins", with only "2% of vaccines administered in the world," lamented WHO Africa director Matshidiso Moeti on Thursday.

Amnesty International has denounced the "virtual monopoly" of rich countries on vaccines.