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

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

Addressing the World Health Summit in Berlin, Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned the rich nations saying that if they keep treatments to themselves they cannot expect to remain safe if poor countries remain exposed.

"It is natural that countries want to protect their own citizens first but if and when we have an effective vaccine, we must also use it effectively. And the best way to do that is to vaccinate some people in all countries rather than all people in some countries," he said. Let me be clear: vaccine nationalism will prolong the pandemic, not shorten it," he said.

With over 10 vaccine trials in the most advanced phase 3, WHO has launched an international scheme known as Covax to help ensure equitable access to jobs, however, it has struggled to raise the required funds. Tedros has also said that COVID-19 could be less when those countries who have the funding are committed to this. He further warned that the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be defeated in a divided world and hoped that US will reconsider its position in its decision to withdraw from the world body.

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'Greatest crisis of our times'

Meanwhile, speaking at the same summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that “the COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest crisis of our age". Echoing the 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 the way. A vaccine must be a global public good. Vaccines, tests, and therapies are more than lifesavers. They are economy savers and society savers," Guterres said.

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