By Asmau Ahmad
The World Health Organisation (WHO), says it had secured two billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with a billion more in the pipeline and deliveries expected to begin next month.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus made the remarks as he addressed a meeting of the Committee on the functioning of the International Health Regulations, 2005, during the COVID-19 response, posted on the WHO website.
He said ensuring that countries would have access to any COVID-19 vaccines, was the promise of a global mechanism established last April, known as the COVAX Facility.
Dr Ghebreyesus said the vaccines should be administered in every country as a symbol of hope for overcoming both the pandemic and the inequalities that lie at the root of so many global health challenges.
He said: “Even as they speak the language of equitable access, some countries and companies continue to prioritise bilateral deals, going around COVAX, driving up prices and attempting to jump to the front of the queue. This is wrong.”
Additionally, he said, most manufacturers had also prioritised regulatory approval in rich countries, where profits are higher, rather than submitting their dossiers to WHO for pre-qualification.
“This could delay COVAX deliveries and create exactly the scenario COVAX was designed to avoid, with hoarding, a chaotic market, an uncoordinated response, and continued social and economic disruptions.
“Not only does this me-first approach leave the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people at risk, it’s also self-defeating,” the WHO DG added.
While underlining that vaccine equity also has economic benefits, Ghebreyesus urged countries to “work together in solidarity” to ensure inoculation of all health workers, and older people at most risk worldwide is underway, within the first 100 days of the year.
He pressed for action in three areas to “change the rules of the game,” starting with an appeal for transparency in any bilateral contracts between countries and COVAX, including on volumes, pricing and delivery dates.
“We call on these countries to give much greater priority to COVAX’s place on the queue, and to share their own doses with COVAX, especially once they have vaccinated their own health workers and older populations, so that other countries can do the same,” he said.
The director general also called for vaccine producers to provide WHO with full data, for regulatory review in real time, to accelerate approvals, while urging countries to only use vaccines that have met international safety standards, and to accelerate readiness for their deployment.
“My challenge to all Member States is to ensure that by the time World Health Day arrives on April 7, COVID-19 vaccines are being administered in every country, he said.
