WHO asks power players to end Covid Vaccine Inequity

 Highlights

• UN health agency has been highly infuriated by the moral outrage of rich countries which are hogging vaccine supply as opposed to developing nations which are struggling to immunise their most vulnerable populations.
• Thus, WHO urged people to tell politicians and business tycoons that it is electorally and financially safe to boost vaccine coverage in poorer nations.

Who can solve the problem of equity?

• According to the WHO official, “There are probably 20 people worldwide that are crucial to solve this equity problem.
• These 20 people head big companies that are in charge of this or head the countries that are contracting most of the vaccines or head the countries that produce the vaccines.

Vaccine count

• According to AFP count, 4.5 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide till date.
• In high-income countries, 104 doses have been administered per 100 people.
• In 29 lowest-income nations, two doses have been injected per 100 people.

WHO’s target

WHO wants countries to have vaccinated at least 10 percent their population by the end of September and at least 40 percent by the end of 2021 to cover some 70 percent population by the middle of 2022.

Unequal vaccination rate

According to New York Time Covid World Vaccination Tracker, more than 4.46 billion vaccine doses were administered across the world as of August 9. It equals to 58 doses for every 100 people. According to it, 83% of shots having been administered in high- and upper-middle-income countries while, 0.3% in low-income countries. Vaccination rate (number of doses administered per 100 people) is 90% in Europe and 86% in North America while only 5.5% in Africa.