Leaders are urgently calling for vaccination acceleration globally and in Africa

WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and a group of world health leaders today issued an urgent call for vaccine harmonization globally, particularly in Africa. Leaders stressed that the worst pandemic in a hundred years will not end if and as long as there is no true global cooperation in vaccine supply and access. They also reiterated the WHO’s global vaccination target for 70% of the population of all countries to be vaccinated by mid-2022.

Dr. Tedros was joined by Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, Strive Masiyima, AU Special Envoy for COVID-19, Dr. John Nkengasong, CDC Director for Africa, Professor Benedict Oramah, Chairman and Chairman of the Board, Afreximbank, Dr. .Vera Songwe, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, and Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

The press conference followed two days of leaders’ meetings, and was joined by Richard Hatchett, CEPI’s chief executive.

Selected quotes:

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: Director-General, WHO

“More than 5.7 billion doses have been administered globally, but only 2% of them have been administered in Africa.”

“This is not only harmful to the people of Africa, but to all of us. The longer the inequality in vaccines lasts, the further the virus will circulate and change, the longer social and economic disturbances will continue, and the more likely it is that more variants will emerge that make vaccines less effective. “

Streve Masiyima, AU Special Envoy for COVID-19

“Vaccine sharing is good, but we shouldn’t rely on vaccine sharing. Especially when we can get to the table, put the structures in place and say, we also want to buy.”

“American taxpayers, European taxpayers, have funded part of that intellectual property and it should be for the common good. So it’s not wrong to say there should be waivers, it was for the common good. So we ask this IP will be available . “

“It was a great miracle to have these vaccines, let this miracle now be available to all mankind.”

Dr. John Nkengasong, CDC Director for Africa

“We will not be able to achieve full immunization of 60% of our population if we do not explore and make full use of the power of partnership, the power of cooperation and the power of solidarity” … “We have all now recognized that vaccines are the only solution to this pandemic. This must be done quickly. ”

Dr. Vera Songwe, UN Deputy Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa

“For each month of closure on the continent, it cost us $ 29 billion in lost production. For [the African continent], when we say that COVID-19 is an economic question and that we have to answer it, in order to be able to recover and reset our economies, it is real. And for that we need funding and we need to see how we can come together globally financial structures to ensure that we can really respond to this crisis ”.

“We know that scarcity means increased costs, and today as a continent we cannot afford such scarcity.”

Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Afreximbank

“Africa did not want to be at the bottom of the line again in terms of vaccines because it was well known to everyone that economic recovery means putting the virus under control.”

“It’s important that we do this for the simple reason that countries want us to make sure we fail and make it difficult for us to recover quickly.”

Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi

“Today’s meeting is important because it symbolizes the spirit of partnership between COVAX, the African Union and AVATT: Africa needs more doses and together we will get them.”

“We are ready to embark on the busiest period of the largest and most complex vaccine introduction in history. We have shown that COVAX can operate extensively, but it is really time for the world to stand behind it. ”

Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

“Sometimes the question arises as to whether African countries have the ability to absorb vaccines? The simple answer is yes. The constant challenge is that global stocks are not shared in ways that will pull the world out of this pandemic. ”

“Hundreds of WHO staff in the field are ready to support countries in expanding vaccination sites and managing the complexity of small deliveries of different vaccines.”

“Moreover, African countries have already done so – successfully conducting mass vaccination campaigns against polio, yellow fever and cholera.”

Notes for editors

• WHO’s goals are to vaccinate at least 10% of each country’s population by September, at least 40% by the end of the year, and 70% globally by the middle of next year. These are the key points we need to achieve together to end the pandemic.
• Nearly 90% of high-income countries have now reached the 10% target, and more than 70% have reached the 40% target. No low-income country has achieved any goal.
• 5.5 billion doses of the vaccine have been administered globally, but 80% have been administered in high- and upper-middle-income countries.
• High-income countries have now administered nearly 100 doses to every 100 people. Meanwhile, low-income countries were only able to apply 1.5 doses per 100 people, due to a lack of supply.
• The world should spare no effort to increase vaccine supply for lower-income countries: this can be done by removing all barriers to increasing production, including giving up IP, releasing supply chains, and transferring technology. As part of these efforts, in June the WHO and COVAX partners announced the first center to transfer COVID mRNA vaccine technology to be set up in South Africa.
• High-income countries have promised to donate more than 1 billion doses, but less than 15% of those doses have come true, and manufacturers have promised to give priority to COVAX and low-income countries.
• The offer through COVAX and other sources will increase significantly in the coming months of this year. Countries need to prepare for this increase in available doses, for example with micro-planning, expanded cold chain equipment, logistics, financing and trained staff.
• Of the 6, COVAX delivered more than 236.6 million doses to 139 participants^th September 2021 About 41 participants started their first campaigns thanks to COVAX.
• Safe and effective vaccines alone cannot solve a pandemic: Robust surveillance supported by rapid diagnosis, early clinical care, and life-saving therapy, provided by well-trained health professionals who can work in safe conditions. Public health and social measures are also vital to ending the pandemic and accelerating global recovery.