WHO launches vaccine help for 6 ex-Soviet states

The World Health Organisation’s chief for Europe says it’s launching with the European Union a 40million euro (USD 48.5 million) programme to help deploy COVID-19 vaccines in six countries that were once Soviet republics.

Dr Hans Kluge, who also highlighted a drop in coronavirus cases in recent weeks while warning case counts remain too high, says the programme complements work through an existing EU program and the WHO-backed COVAX Facility that aims to deploy vaccines for people in all countries in need whether rich or poor.

The programme will involve Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.

“Vaccines offer a way to emerge faster from this pandemic. But only if we ensure that all countries, irrespective of income level, have access to them,” Kluge told reporters from Copenhagen, Denmark.

“Unfair access to vaccines, can backfire. The longer the virus lingers, the greater the risk of dangerous mutations,” he added.

Kluge hailed “good news” that new infections in the 53-country WHO Europe region has declined for four straight weeks, and said COVID-related deaths have fallen in each of the last two weeks. He also pointed to declining hospitalisation rates.

In the region, some 7.8 million people have completed their immunisation, Kluge said.