Pope Francis says 'it's important to guarantee universal access to healthcare' amid crisis

Amid the unprecedented outbreak of coronavirus, Pope Francis has called for "international cooperation" to develop a vaccine to cure COVID-19 disease and ensure its availability to the world. While delivering the address on May 3 from the papal library and not St. Peter’s Square, Francis said that the countries should “bring together scientific capacities” and find treatments to the disease that has impacted lives of millions around the world since it originated in China. Francis even encouraged a “transparent” way to make health care facilities including the essential technologies to be accessible to everyone.

“I would like to support and encourage the international collaboration that is taking place with various initiatives to respond adequately and effectively to the serious crisis we are experiencing.”, said Francis

He added, “It is important, in fact, to bring together scientific capacities, in a transparent and disinterested way, to find vaccines and treatments and to guarantee universal access to essential technologies that will enable every infected person, in every part of the world, to receive the necessary health care.”

Earlier, Francis had also said that the drastic spread of COVID-19 implies that “time has come to eliminate inequalities”. Earlier this month, Pope called for solidarity in the world’s response to the coronavirus outbreak leading to “difficult times”. The Vatican quoted him saying, “May we be profoundly shaken by what is happening all around us: the time has come to eliminate inequalities, to heal the injustice that is undermining the health of the entire human family.”

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‘Coordinated, global response’

Apart from Pope Francis, another religious leader, Dalai Lama also issued a statement on the global health crisis and called for world leaders to “focus on what unites” people to respond to the global health crisis. The Tibetan spiritual leader said in a statement on May 3 that loss of lives among other challenges posed by the drastic spread of COVID-19 disease can only be dealt with “coordinated, global response”. According to him, it is the only way to match the unknown magnitude of the difficulties the world would face because of the outbreak. Dalai Lama concluded by praying that everyone heeds “The Call to Unite”.

This crisis and its consequences serve as a warning that only by coming together in a coordinated, global response, will we meet the unprecedented magnitude of the challenges we face. I pray we all heed ‘The Call to Unite’,” Dalai Lama said.

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(Image Source: AP)