The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Sunday said that it is possible to end the acute phase of the Covid-19 pandemic this year if every nation could vaccinate 70% of their populations against the deadly virus, reported The Hindustan Times.
Mr. Tedros also called for the strategies and the tools available to be used in a comprehensive and equitable way to combat coronavirus.
“This year we could end the acute phase of the #COVID19 pandemic if we vaccinate 70% of the population of every country, with a focus on the most at-risk groups, and use all strategies and tools in a comprehensive and equitable way,” Ghebreyesus said in a subsequent tweet.
The WHO chief’s statement came on Sunday, a day on which the WHO declared the Covid-19 pandemic a public health emergency of international concern two years ago in 2020.
Last week, during his opening remarks at the 150th session of the WHO’s executive board meeting, Ghebreyesus said that the world would be living with Covid for the foreseeable future. He said that COVID-19 is killing about 50,000 people a week, which is unacceptable.
He claimed that the WHO has been sharing guidance with countries during the pandemic to assist them in fighting the virus, and the organization hasn’t stopped its efforts.
Mr. Tedros noted that countries must aim for reducing mortality rates through strong clinical management, beginning with primary health care, and equitable access to diagnostics, oxygen, and antiviral medicines at the point of care.
He said that while vaccines alone were not enough for countries to get out of the pandemic, there is no other path out if the target of 70% vaccinations in every country was achieved.
The WHO chief has criticized many wealthier countries for delivering a fourth coronavirus vaccine to their citizens as underdeveloped countries still struggle to get the vaccine.
