South African President Ramaphosa Urges G7 Countries To Fill In COVID-19 Funding Gap

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called out the Group of Seven countries (G7) to meet their commitments and help finance the World Health Organization’s (WHO) programme to boost COVID-19 testing, diagnostics, and vaccines, the presidency said on Sunday, reported Reuters.

“We need to address the substantial financing gap for tests, treatments, critical supplies like oxygen and the health systems that enable testing, treatment, and vaccination,” Ramaphosa said in the statement.

Ramaphosa said if the G7 nations pay their share, the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator will get two-thirds of the total funding needed. He further said if the G20 joins in, the WHO programme would get 90 percent of the money required.

The South African president warned the world’s richest leaders that if this is not done, many more lives will be lost to the deadly coronavirus pandemic. He urged G7 countries to support his campaign to temporarily waive COVID-19 vaccine intellectual property rights. He claimed that the waiver will help in the distribution of more and more coronavirus vaccines and prevent the spread and mutation of the virus.

Ramaphosa addressed the G7 leaders’ summit in the United Kingdom on Saturday. The G7 consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and the United States.

The South African president was one of four non-G7 members who were invited to the summit, alongside the leaders of Australia, India, and South Korea.

 “If the world is to emerge from this grave crisis, it is essential that we work together to mobilize and direct resources to those countries in the greatest need – and that we do so now,” said Ramaphosa.

Africa has registered 5 million COVID-19 cases so far, with the southern Africa region the worst affected. Around 90 percent of African nations are likely to miss a September target to vaccinate at least 10 percent of their populations against COVID-19  as a third wave of the pandemic looms on the continent, according to the WHO.