WHO urges world leaders at UN General Assembly to focus on vaccine equality, pandemic preparedness and return to sustainable development goals

WHO invites leaders to attend 76^th a session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to ensure equal access to vaccines against COVID-19 and other life-saving tools; ensure that the world is better prepared to respond to future pandemics; and renew efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed the lives of nearly 5 million people worldwide, and the virus continues to actively circulate in all regions of the world.

Vaccines are the most important tool to end a pandemic and save lives and livelihoods. More than 5.7 billion doses of vaccine have been administered globally, but 73% of all doses have been administered in only 10 countries. High-income countries applied 61 times more doses per capita than low-income countries. The longer vaccine inequality lasts, the further the virus will spread and develop, and social and economic disruptions will continue.

The WHO aims to vaccinate at least 40% of each country’s population by the end of this year and 70% by the middle of next year. These goals are achievable if countries and manufacturers are truly committed to vaccine equality.

WHO calls on countries to immediately fulfill their dose-sharing promises and replace their short-term vaccine deliveries with COVAX and AVAT (African COVID-19 Vaccine Work Team); The WHO also calls on manufacturers to prioritize the supply of COVAX and partners, and countries and manufacturers to facilitate the exchange of technology, knowledge and intellectual property to support regional vaccine production.

Even as countries focus on ending this pandemic, the world must also prepare for future pandemics and other health emergencies.

COVID-19 has captured a world — including rich nations — unprepared for a pandemic of this speed and scale. It has hit the vulnerable population particularly hard and exacerbated inequalities.

The WHO urges all countries to break the cycle of ‘panic and neglect’ seen after previous health emergencies, and to invest adequate financial resources, as well as political will, to strengthen emergency preparedness worldwide.

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a cornerstone of global health security. Despite progress in the UHC in recent years, 90% of countries have reported disruptions in basic health services due to the pandemic, and the repercussions have reverberated outside the health sector.

Serious investment in the UHC and preparedness for a pandemic are key not only to strengthening global health security, but also to restoring sustainable development programs by 2030.

The pandemic has reversed progress in achieving the goals of sustainable development, including the results achieved in eradicating poverty, eliminating gender inequalities, vaccinating children against infectious diseases, and educating girls and boys. But it also provides new opportunities for the world to do things differently, and to truly work together to build better – towards a healthier, fairer, more inclusive and sustainable world.

The WHO is urging world leaders who are gathering at the UN General Assembly this week to seize the moment and commit to concerted action, adequate resources and solidarity to build a better future for people and the planet.

Note to editors:

COVAX is a pillar of the COVID-19 Access Accelerator (ACT) vaccine, and is jointly convened by the Coalition for Innovation in Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI), Gavi, the Gavi Vaccine Alliance) and the World Health Organization (WHO) – working in partnership with UNICEF – as a key implementing partner, vaccine manufacturers in developed and developing countries, the World Bank and others. It is the only global initiative working with governments and manufacturers to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both higher-income and lower-income countries.

To date, COVAX has shipped more than 260 million doses to 141 countries.