UN Chief Reiterates Call for Equitable Access to COVID-19 Vaccines

United Nations secretarygeneral Antonio Guterres on Wednesday reiterated his call for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

“I want to utilise this vital platform today to once again urge all countries, economies, and manufacturers to work with - and through - the COVAX facility to realise the commitments of equitable access, especially for the most vulnerable,” the UN chief said in his pre-recorded video message to the High-level Webinar on the African COVID-19 Vaccine Financing and Deployment Strategy.

“We must ensure that vaccines are seen as a global public good - people’s vaccines - accessible and affordable to all,” said the secretarygeneral.

“We must work together to prioritise those most at risk in all countries and close the financing gap.”

The top UN official commended the African Union’s efforts through the COVID-19 African Vaccine Acquisition Task Force to secure an additional 270 million vaccine doses for African countries, complementing the cooperation with COVAX.

“Vaccine equity is in every country’s self-interest. It is also the fastest way to reopen the global economy and start a sustainable recovery,” said the UN chief.

He expressed his regret that inequities are growing in COVID-19 vaccine access and use.

“We cannot have a world divided between vaccine haves and havenots,” Mr Guterres stressed.

The secretary-seneral pointed out that “while we all know that COVID-19 vaccines bring a muchneeded source of hope, we must not neglect existing interventions and services.”