UN CHIEF IN GLOBAL CALL FOR ‘PEOPLE’S VACCINE’
▶ World leaders pledge $8.8bn in immunisation funding at summit
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addressed the Global Vaccine Summit to lend his voice to calls for a “people’s vaccine” in the fight against Covid-19.
Global leaders met in London and raised $8.8 billion (Dh32bn) in additional funds at a pledging conference organised by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, on Thursday.
At the summit, the Vaccine Alliance launched an advance market commitment for Covid-19 vaccines. The financing instrument is aimed at incentivising manufacturers to produce enough of the eventual Covid-19 vaccine. Its initial goal of $2bn was to ensure access to the shot for those in developing countries.
The conference was attended online by private and public sector representatives from more than 50 countries, including heads of government from the G7 and G20.
As the world works towards creating a vaccine against the coronavirus, Gavi faces the twin challenges of maintaining current levels of immunisation while public health systems are under threat and preparing for the introduction of the possible preventive shot.
Mr Guterres highlighted the importance of routine global vaccination, calling immunisation the “most important public health intervention in history”.
He said 20 million people around the world still did not receive the required full complement of vaccines. With the coronavirus pandemic reaching these people, he said, that task would only get harder.
“A vaccine itself is not enough,” he said referring to a possible Covid-19 jab. He said global stability was needed “to make sure everyone, everywhere, has access”.
Reem Al Hashimi, the Minister of State for International Co-operation, addressed the summit saying the UAE is committed to immunising the world’s children.
“I reaffirm my country’s commitment to freeing the next generation from disease and creating a healthier, more prosperous world for all through immunisation,” Ms Al Hashimi said.
She said since the start of the pandemic the UAE had sent more than 700 metric tonnes of medical supplies – worth $130 million (Dh477m) – to 60 countries to fight Covid-19.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron were among the world leaders to pledge funds to Gavi.
US President Donald Trump also made an appearance at the start of the conference to say that the outbreak of the coronavirus had shown there were no borders when it came to disease and that Covid-19 does not discriminate.
Addressing those attending at the start of the summit, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was hosting the event, said he hoped the world would coalesce around the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
“I hope this summit will be the moment when the world comes together to unite humanity in the fight against disease,” he said.
“I urge you to join us to fortify this life-saving alliance and inaugurate a new era of global health co-operation, which I believe is now the most essential shared endeavour of our lifetimes,” he said.