The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday pointed out the shocking disparity in access to coronavirus vaccines across the globe, with only four African countries able to meet their vaccination targets so far, reported CGTN Africa.
Addressing the 71st session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 140 countries have vaccinated at least 10 of their population so far, and unfortunately, only four countries in Africa have been able to reach that target, due to the shocking disparity in access to vaccines.
He said the vaccine crisis has pointed out the fundamental weakness at the root of the pandemic that is the lack of global solidarity, sharing of information and data, biological samples, resources, technology, and tools.
The three-day session, which will continue until Aug.26, has brought together health ministers from various African nations to set the continent’s health agenda for the next 12 months.
The COVAX global initiative, which works to secure vaccines for the world’s poorer nations, has delivered 40 million doses to African countries, according to WHO Africa regional director, Matshidiso Moeti. It aims to deliver around 475 million more doses in the region by the end of December.
Moeti said the continent requires more and more vaccine doses to protect people from severe Covid-19 illness and death.
“We deeply regret the delays and difficulties in keeping to agreements due to unforeseen factors as the pandemic unfolded,” she said. “We have indeed learned many lessons.”
The WHO official said that the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted an opportunity as well as a warning of the need to re-configure systems and invest more in making a healthier, fairer world.
The meeting is also scheduled to discuss other diseases, such as polio, hepatitis, cervical cancer, tuberculosis, AIDS, STDs, and meningitis.
Africa has reported more than 7.5 million COVID-19 cases so far with over 190,000 deaths.
