Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Microsoft founder Bill Gates believes the Covid-19 corona virus vaccine will be found in 2021. But he questioned the distribution of the vaccine to poor countries.
This was disclosed by Bill Gates in a press conference. He called the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s “next big question” is how to make and distribute vaccines to those in need.
“It should not only be rich countries that win the vaccine procurement war,” said Bill Gates as quoted by CNBC International, Tuesday (9/15/2020). “Misallocating vaccines will make for a dramatic increase in mortality.”
Rich countries such as the United States (US), Japan and the UK have ordered 2 billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, which will make vaccine supplies limited in the coming year. Several international efforts are underway to ensure poor countries have access to vaccines.
In a recent Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation report entitled “The Goalkeepers Report,” it states that without a vaccine, the coronavirus could create more harm to vulnerable populations. One of them is increasing poverty in many countries.
The report also cites modeling from Northeastern University that predicts twice as many people could die from the Covid-19 corona virus if rich countries stockpiled the first 2 billion doses of vaccine rather than distribute it fairly.
The report also found that the pandemic has a disproportionate impact on women, racial and ethnic minorities, and people living in extreme poverty.
“Pandemics, in almost every dimension, exacerbate inequality. Poor countries suffer far more than rich countries due to a lack of fiscal resources,” said Bill Gates ahead of the report’s release.
He added that many workers in developing countries cannot easily work from home and are generally paid less.
(roy/sef)
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