COVID-19: WHO's new call for vaccine equity worldwide
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
To end to the COVID-19 pandemic, we must share internationally all the tools necessary for its fight, such as the vaccine, insists the World Health Organization (WHO). & nbsp;
This is what the Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, repeated in a virtual press conference Thursday morning. & Nbsp;
The doctor insisted on the importance of vaccine equity around the world, reminding that vaccines and tests were not available everywhere.
“This new year offers an opportunity to renew our collective response to the shared threat. I hope that leaders who have made efforts to protect their own people will expand those efforts to make sure the whole world is safe. This pandemic will not end until it is done, “he said at the outset. & Nbsp;
According to the WHO, an unvaccinated population is a fertile pool for the & rsquo; appearance of new variants of the virus.
Objective rejected
The WHO aims to immunize 70% of the population of all countries by July 2022, a deadline initially set for the first quarter of the year. At this rate, 1,009 countries would miss the vaccination. 70% of their population by early July 2022, the organization estimates.
“The essence of the disparity is that some countries are moving towards vaccinating citizens a third time while others do not even have a regular supply sufficient to immunize their health workers and those most at risk, “said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Moreover, the emergence of variants, such as Omicron or Delta, are caused by this inequity in the distribution of vaccines, says the WHO. “While Omicron seems less severe than Delta, especially for people who have been vaccinated, that doesn't mean it should be categorized as mild. Like the other variants, Omicron sends people to the hospital and kills people, “said Dr Ghebreyesus.
Highest number of cases recorded
Last week, the planet has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic and infections are underestimated.
“The tsunami of cases is so intense and rapid that it is crushing systems health care across the world. Hospitals are starting to be overloaded and understaffed, ”he said, stressing that this was leading to the offloading of other care. & Nbsp;
On December 8, the WHO affirmed that the variant Omicron is believed to have a “major impact” on the pandemic due to some of its characteristics, including its global spread and large number of mutations.
