Prioritizing vaccine contracts with the UN-led COVAX initiative, urges Chief of Health Tedros |

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus He was talking in Who is theThe regular bi-weekly briefing for reporters about recent efforts to curb the spread Covid-19 pandemic.

He began by praising the pledge of the leaders of the G7 nations on Friday to intensify cooperation and increase their total contribution to the international effort under the so-called ACT Accelerator Program, to about $ 7.5 billion.

COVAX It works to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics and treatments to end the crippling process Corona VirusTedros expressed his thanks to the Group of Seven, along with the European Union, who pledged an additional $ 4.3 billion last week.

One step

Tedros said: “These funds and donations bring us one step closer to achieving our goal of starting the vaccination of health workers and the elderly in all countries, within the first 100 days of the year.”

But he added that all countries need to step up efforts, saying the money is far from the only challenge: “If there are no vaccines that can be bought, money will not matter. Currently, some high-income countries enter into contracts with vaccine manufacturers that undermine deals that are being made. COVAX make do with it, and it reduces the number of doses COVAX can buy.

“Even if we have the money, we can only deliver vaccines to poor countries if high-income countries cooperate in respecting the deals that COVAX has struck and the new deals it is doing. This is not a matter of charity, it is an epidemic issue.”

The funding gap persists

The WHO chief said there is still a financing gap of about $ 23 billion to “fully fund” the ACT accelerated vaccine initiative.

To make sure that the people most at risk in low- and middle-income countries get their chances first, “We need more funding, we need countries to share doses right away, we need manufacturers to prioritize contracts with COVAX, and we also need a massive increase in vaccine production. Tedros said.

More vaccines are being developed, approved, and produced. He indicated that there would be enough for everyone. “But at the moment, and for the rest of this year, vaccines will be a limited resource. We have to use them as strategically as possible.”