As the casualties from the COVID-19 pandemic tallied over 3.5 million, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Ghebreyesus warned yesterday that the pandemic is far from over.
Tedros told reporters in Geneva that new variants have been compounding explosive outbreaks.
But he said equitable access to vaccines is essential for ending the pandemic.
“Ultimately, the fastest way to bring this pandemic to an end is to dramatically increase global manufacturing of vaccines, tests, treatments and other medical supplies, and ensure equitable access,” he said.
He added: “Our “sprint to September” goal means we must vaccinate at least 250 million more people in low- and middle-income countries, including all health workers and the most at-risk groups as the first priority.
“If countries immediately share doses with COVAX, and if manufacturers prioritize COVAX, we can reach this target and save a lot of lives.”
He invited more developers to “come forward and share life-saving tools so that we can ramp up production and expand access.”
