‘This is a big help, but we need more, and we need them faster. More than 10,000 people are dying every day. During this press conference alone, more than 420 people will die. These communities need vaccines, and they need them now, not next year,’ said WHO´s Director Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus.

Referring to the needs to finance WHO’s vaccine accelerator and technologies against coronavirus, Gebreyesus said the world ‘is spending more money on wrong reasons.’

On the subject, Dr. Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO´s Health Emergencies Program, pointed out that at least $16 billion are impending for this purpose; which accounts for less than 1% of annual defense spending.

‘I think we can afford it in order to save thousands of lives,’ he stressed.

Adhanom, on the other hand, highlighted that even though global coronavirus case toll dropped afresh for seven weeks in a row, it´s not the same case regarding Covid-19 death toll.

‘10,000 to 11,000 coronavirus-infected people are dying every day, and they´re victims that could be saved,’ said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO´s technical lead for Covid-19.

Halting this situation is possible, added Adhanom, since ‘there are enough vaccine doses around the globe to reduce transmission and save many people.’

Van Kerkhove recalled that, even with vaccines, effective public health measures cannot be neglected. Plus, Adhanom stressed that unequal vaccine distribution had allowed greater spread of coronavirus and increased the chances of cropping up new variants which could make the vaccines less effective.

Over six months, after the first vaccines were applied, high-income nations have handed over nearly 45% of world’s doses; while low-income countries 0.4% only, she stressed.

pgh/Pll/oda / cdg