An appeal to G20 leaders to make vaccines available to people on the move

We are writing to you on behalf of the millions of people around the world who are struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic away from home. Some were forced to flee wars, conflicts, persecution and human rights violations. Others are on the move to escape the socioeconomic difficulties or consequences of climate change.

As strangers away from home, many are at risk of exclusion or neglect. Because of their life situation, many face barriers in accessing vaccinations, testing, treatment, care, and even reliable information.

It is a strong reality that some of the world’s poorest countries bear the greatest responsibility for supporting displaced persons and other people on the move. They need a reliable and adequate supply of vaccines and other critical supplies to stabilize their fragile and overburdened health systems, to help save the lives of their citizens, migrants, as well as refugees and other displaced persons they host.

Yet the current gap in vaccine equity between richer and low-resource countries shows neglect of the lives of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. For every 100 people in high-income countries, 133 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were given, while in low-income countries, only 4 doses per 100 people were given.

Vaccine inequality costs lives every day and continues to put everyone at risk. History and science make it clear: coordinated action with equal access to public health resources is the only way to deal with a global public health scourge like COVID-19. We need a strong, shared impetus to save lives, reduce suffering and ensure a sustainable global recovery.

And while vaccines are a very powerful tool, they are not the only tool. Tests are needed to know where the virus is, treatments that include dexamethasone and medical oxygen are needed to save lives, and public health measures are needed to prevent transmission.

As leaders of the world’s largest economies, you have the power and responsibility to help stop a pandemic by expanding access to vaccines and other tools to people and places where they are available as soon as possible.

We welcome the fact that this weekend’s summit in Rome will call for “courage and ambition” to tackle some of the greatest challenges of our time, and in particular the need to recover from the pandemic and overcome inequality. Together, we invite you, G20 leaders, to dedicate yourself to:

1. Increase vaccine stocks for the world’s poorest: We call on the world’s leading economies to fully fund and implement the ACT Accelerator Strategic Plan and Budget, and to distribute vaccines, tests and treatments where they are most needed. If we want to recover from a pandemic, we must – at the very least – meet the vaccination targets of 40 percent of the world ‘s population by the end of the year – and 70 percent globally by mid – 2022.
2. Provide access to vaccines for all people on the move: We call on each country to ensure that everyone in its territory, regardless of legal status – including refugees, migrants, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers and others on the move – has access to vaccines, tests and treatment against COVID-19 19. They should adopt concrete measures to remove barriers to vaccination for all in its territory – for example the need for special documents, geographical barriers, the requirement in some settings for healthcare seekers to report to immigration authorities, high fees – and to combat misinformation that encourages vaccine indecision.
3. Support low- and middle-income countries in the fight against COVID-19 by all available means: Low- and middle-income countries need comprehensive support – financial, political, technical, logistical – for rapid and effective vaccination of people to expand access to testing and treatment, to implement tailored public health measures and to build more resilient health systems to prepare for, prevent , detect and respond quickly to future health emergencies.

We urge you to take swift action to mitigate the devastating human casualties of the pandemic.

With respect,

Filippo Grandi UN High Commissioner for Refugees	António Vitorino CEO of IOM	Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director-General