COVID vaccination: UN calls on countries to be ambitious

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called on countries to show much more ambition for the vaccination of populations, while judging that vaccines will not make it possible to eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Read also: LIVE | The latest developments on COVID-19

According to him, the objectives of the World Health Organization (WHO) of 40% of vaccinated by country in the world by the end of December and 70% by mid-2022 will not be able to be reached.

“Countries need to take concrete steps in the coming days to make further progress towards the WHO’s 40% global target and be much more ambitious in their efforts to reach 70% of the population in all countries by mid-year. -2022, ”he said during a virtual media meeting.

“We can not defeat a pandemic in an uncoordinated way”, also said the head of the UNO, while deploring again “the vaccine inequity, the hesitation and the complacency” in the world between rich and poor countries.

“COVID-19 will not go away” and “it is becoming clear that vaccines alone will not eradicate the pandemic,” said Antonio Guterres, acknowledging that “vaccines prevent hospitalization and death for the majority of those who receive them and slow down the spread ”.

The WHO strategy “requires the full commitment of Member States, especially those with large vaccine production or supply capacities”.

“But within days of the deadline, 98 countries were unable to meet this year-end target. 40 countries have not yet been able to immunize 10% of their population, ”he noted.

“At the current rate, Africa will not reach the 70% threshold before August 2024. Vaccine inequity gives variants a pass to unleash themselves – devastating the health of people,” denounced the head of the ‘UN.

– .