International partners working to achieve equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines appealed on Wednesday for the UN Security Council to ensure people caught in conflict have access to these lifesaving treatments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing the virtual meeting, UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres described the goal of providing vaccines to all as \u201cthe biggest moral test before the global community\u201d, underlining that everyone, everywhere must be included. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDefeating COVID-19, now that we have begun to have the scientific capacity to do so, is more important than ever\u201d, he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYet progress on vaccinations has been wildly uneven and unfair. Just 10 countries have administered 75 per cent of all COVID-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, more than 130 countries have not received a single dose. Those affected by conflict and insecurity are at particular risk of being left behind\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Global Vaccination Plan <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UN and partners have established the COVAX Facility so that all countries will have access to vaccines, regardless of their wealth. The global mechanism must be fully funded, the Secretary-General said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut we must do even more\u201d, he added. \u201cThe world urgently needs a Global Vaccination Plan to bring together all those with the required power, scientific expertise and production and financial capacities\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Guterres proposed that the world\u2019s richest countries, the G20 nations, form an Emergency Task Force to prepare the plan and coordinate its implementation and financing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The task force would work to mobilize pharmaceutical companies and key industry and logistics actors, he said, underlining the UN\u2019s readiness to support this effort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An historic effort <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UN Children\u2019s Fund (UNICEF) is assisting countries in preparation for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, aiming to procure two billion doses by the end of the year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis historic effort deserves historic support\u201d, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. \u201cHelp us ensure that the light at the end of the tunnel shines on us all \u2014 including the families and communities enduring the horrors of conflict\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ms. Fore underscored that the Council\u2019s support is necessary for getting countries to ensure that all people are included in national vaccination plans, regardless of their status or if they live in areas not under government control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She further highlighted the need for a global ceasefire, in line with the Secretary-General\u2019s appeal issued last March, while immunization campaigns against measles, polio and other diseases, which were paused during the pandemic, must also resume. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe cannot allow the fight against one deadly disease to cause us to lose ground in the fight against others\u201d, she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Build community trust <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The COVAX facility also includes a proposed \u201csafety net\u201d to provide vaccines for high-risk populations in humanitarian settings, according to Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO at GAVI, the vaccine alliance. He stressed that this buffer is a measure of last resort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI ask that the UN Security Council reinforce this message so that available doses are distributed to ensure truly equitable access, in accordance with the humanitarian principles and in upholding state obligations towards populations within their territory\u201d, he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), also briefed the Council. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jagan Chapagain, spoke of the importance of fostering trust amid high levels of vaccine hesitancy. He said communities can clearly see the inequalities and unfairness in COVID-19 vaccine access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe fair and equitable distribution of vaccines is essential to building trust and for maintaining international peace and preventing violence\u201d, he said. \u201cThis is about more than fairness. This is about stopping the virus\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-UN News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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