The WHO says rich nations prolong the pandemic by accumulating Covid treatments and vaccines

The World Health Organization condemned rich nations for storing coronavirus vaccines, treatments and protective equipment, adding that not distributing these resources equitably fuels Covid outbreaks worldwide.

Criticism of two of WHO’s leading epidemiologists came during questions and answers broadcast on the organization’s social media channels on Tuesday. The WHO has expressed its vocation on global inequalities in vaccinations against Covid since the launch of vaccination last winter, and has increased its calls for a fairer distribution of inoculations in the Netherlands. income, as several developed nations have already immunized most of their populations and have recently begun administering booster doses.

“This is not only unfair, it is not only immoral, but it prolongs the pandemic,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical director at Covid. “And it’s causing people to die.”

The WHO previously called on rich nations on August 4 to stop distributing Covid boosters for at least two months, asking them to redirect their surpluses to the poorest countries in hopes of vaccinating 10% of the population. from all countries at the end of September. The organization has also set a deadline for December to vaccinate 40% of the world’s population.

The US, which has completely immunized 53% of its population, has already given reinforcements to more than 1.3 million people. The European Union has completely inoculated 57% of its population and administers booster doses in France and the United Kingdom, according to the United Nations.

In comparison, Africa has fully vaccinated only 3% of its population against Covid and 26 countries on the continent have distributed less than half of the total vaccines, the WHO said on Thursday.

Given the current rate of vaccinations, the WHO said nearly 80% of African countries will not be able to vaccinate 10% of their populations most susceptible to severe Covid symptoms by the end of the month.

In the United States, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 62% of the population has received at least one dose of Covid vaccine, the distribution of Pfizer booster doses could begin as early as September 20. The White House says President Joe Biden has given more than 110 million vaccines out of the 500 million doses he promised in June to nearly 100 developing countries.

But the WHO said the industrialized world has not gotten enough vaccines, treatments and protective equipment to end the virus.

“The rhetoric is fine, it’s about sharing, it’s about equity,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, director of the WHO health emergency program. “But really, when a boost occurs, those products are available, they pile up in countries, and they’re not shared.”