Meeting in London since Monday for their first face-to-face meeting in two years, G7 leaders discussed the thorny issue of the global distribution of Covid-19 vaccines on Wednesday May 5.
At a time when poor countries are sorely lacking, these great powers are called upon to show more solidarity and a more equitable distribution of the doses.
The divide is widening between the rich countries, where vaccination campaigns allow a gradual lifting of health systems, and the most deprived nations.
The sharing system with poor countries Covax, which mainly supplies AstraZeneca vaccines, is slipping and has delivered only 49 million doses in 121 countries and territories, against a target of 2 billion in 2021.
Urged by the World Health Organization (WHO) to show solidarity in this area, the members of the G7 (United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy) discussed ways to increase their financial assistance or share their excess doses to help poor states.
>> To read also: "Covid-19: with the outbreak of the epidemic in India, another setback for Covax"
Billions of dollars released in India
The situation in India, which is undergoing a devastating second wave with 3,780 dead and 382,000 additional contaminations in 24 hours, was at the center of the discussions.
Exposed to potential cases of Covid-19, the head of Indian diplomacy, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, was however forced to participate virtually in this meeting.
This situation is attributed in particular to religious gatherings, such as the immense Hindu pilgrimage Kumbh Mela which drew millions of people, and to authorized political meetings in recent months, as well as to the inaction of the government of Narendra Modi.
Hospitals are overwhelmed and short of supplies of oxygen, medicines, beds, despite international aid that is pouring in.
Faced with this situation, the Central Bank of India stepped up to the plate on Wednesday by announcing $ 6.7 billion in cheap loans to the health sector.
The immediate goal is to "preserve human life and restore livelihoods in every way possible," said Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das.
The move is intended to improve access to emergency care, he said, by making it easier for banks to provide cheap loans to hospitals, oxygen makers and even sick people.
The dilapidated and underfunded Indian health system is struggling to overcome the influx of Covid-19 patients, some finding death at the very doors of hospitals.
Adolescents vaccinated in the United States
On the other hand, in the United States, the country so far the most bereaved by the pandemic, Joe Biden gave Tuesday, May 4 the green light for a "new phase" to integrate adolescents, in the event of authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for these latter.
He also wants to target the most reluctant Americans.
The president would like at least 70% of adults, compared to 56% currently, to have received a first injection by the national holiday of July 4.
Canada on Wednesday approved Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for adolescents over 12 years old.
In the European Union, more than a quarter of the population has been administered at least one dose of vaccine and more than 9% of its inhabitants are now fully vaccinated according to an AFP count.
The German government has for its part decided to alleviate for people who have received two doses the many bans in place for several months.
Parliament will vote in principle Thursday and Friday on this text, which could enter into force this weekend.
The ambassadors of the 27 Member States of the European Union were also due to examine on Wednesday a Commission proposal in favor of entry into the Union to travelers from third countries who have received the necessary doses of vaccines.
With AFP
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