WHO chief warns against 'Vaccine Nationalism', calls for global solidarity

On Sunday, World Health Organisation (WHO) warned against 'vaccine nationalism' and called for global solidarity in rollout of any future Coronavirus vaccine. Scientists around world are racing to develop a vaccine to fight COVID-19, which has killed over 1.1 million people.

dressing World Health Summit in Berlin, Director-General of WHO, Tedros ham Ghebreyesus cautioned  rich nations saying that if y keep treatments to mselves y cant expect to remain safe if poor countries remain exposed.

"It is natural that countries want to protect ir own citizens first but if and when we have an effective vaccine, we must also use it effectively. And best way to do that is to vaccinate some people in all countries rar than all people in some countries," he said. Let me be clear: vaccine nationalism will prolong pandemic, t shorten it," he said.

With over 10 vaccine trials in most vanced phase 3, WHO has launched an international scheme kwn as Covax to help ensure equitable access to jobs, however, it has struggled to raise required funds. Tedros has also said that COVID-19 could be less when those countries who have funding are committed to this. He furr warned that COVID-19 pandemic cant be defeated in a divided world and hoped that US will reconsider its position in its decision to withdraw from world body.

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'Greatest crisis of our times'

Meanwhile, speaking at same summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that “ COVID-19 pandemic is greatest crisis of our ". Echoing  plea for developed countries to support those with fewer resources, he said that a vaccine must be a global public good

"We need global solidarity every step of way. A vaccine must be a global public good. Vaccines, tests, and rapies are more than lifesavers. y are ecomy savers and society savers," Guterres said.

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