WHO appeals for more equitable distribution of vaccines: World on the brink of catastrophic moral failure

The head of the World Health Organization said Monday that the fair distribution of coronavirus vaccines is at serious risk. The warning of a catastrophic moral failure was issued by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He said the distribution of vaccines could easily become another brick in the wall of inequality between the world's rich and poor countries. While more than 39 million doses of several different vaccines have now been administered in at least 49 higher-income countries, only 25 doses had been given in one lower-income country.

"As the first vaccines begin to be deployed, the promise of equitable access is in serious jeopardy," he said, speaking at a session of the WHO executive board.

"I must be blunt, the world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure, and the price of this failure will be paid in lives and livelihoods in the poorest countries of the world," he added.

At the start of his speech, Tedros stressed that the development and approval of safe coronavirus vaccines less than a year after the virus emerged in China in late 2019 was an impressive achievement and a much-needed source of hope. However, he added that it was not fair that younger, healthier people in rich countries were being vaccinated before health workers and older people in poor countries.

"There will be enough vaccine for everyone, but now we must work together as a global family to prioritize those most at risk of severe disease and death in all countries," he stressed.

Without naming names, Tedros said some countries and companies speak the language of equal access but continue to prioritize bilateral agreements, bypassing COVAX, which is raising prices and trying to jump to the front of the line. COVAX is a global scheme led by an international vaccine alliance called Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and also the WHO.

It was established to ensure equitable access to vaccines for every country in the world. It aims to deliver 2 billion doses of safe and effective vaccines that have passed regulatory approval and WHO prequalification by the end of 2021. The WHO called on wealthier countries that had pre-ordered millions of doses of coronavirus vaccines, such as the US, UK and Europe, to share some of these vaccines with COVAX, so it can then redistribute them to poorer countries.

Wealthier nations have been accused of hoarding more vaccines than they need, although the supply of vaccines is still in its early days as mass inoculations, which began in the West in December, are largely still in their first phase of distribution, CNBC reports.

Tedros called on countries with bilateral agreements with vaccine manufacturers, and for controls over supply, to be transparent with COVAX on volumes, prices and delivery dates, and to share their doses with COVAX after they have vaccinated their own health workers and older populations.