2021-09-07-世界卫生组织-COVID-19_Virtual_Press_conference_transcript_-_8_September_2021_18页_138kb

COVAX Global Press Briefing | September 8, 2021

Keynote by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on vaccine equity

I. Vaccine Inequity & Roadmap

• Current Situation:

  • 80% of vaccines administered (5.5B doses) in high/upper-middle-income countries.
  • Low-income countries at <40% coverage target (70% gap from goal).
  • COVAX delivery delayed: 25% reduction in projected doses due to supply issues.

• Roadmap Mandate:
  WHO’s 3-fold goal:

  1. Ending meningitis epidemics & reducing cases/deaths by 50/70%.
  2. Prioritizing COVID vaccines for global equity.

II. Challenges in Meeting Vaccine Targets

• High-Income Obstacles:

  • G20 nations & manufacturers failing to release promised doses despite commitments.
  • Delayed booster moratorium (extended until year-end to vaccinate >40% global population).
  • Rich countries hoarding vaccines, limiting uptake even in emergencies.

• Surge in Variants:
  Delta & Mu variants showing high transmissibility; over 70k COVID deaths weekly globally.

  • Inequitable access drives two-track pandemic: low-income countries lack vaccines to suppress transmission.

III. Proposed Solutions

• Demand for Action:

  • Swap bilateral deals with COVAX to redirect vaccines to low-income countries.
  • Share technology & intellectual property to boost regional vaccine production.
  • Immediate, large-scale dose-sharing to achieve 40% coverage by year-end.

• WHO Priorities:

  • Strengthening testing/laboratory capacity in labs disrupted by COVID response.
  • Revitalizing primary healthcare as essential to mitigate declines in HIV, TB, malaria services due to pandemic disruptions.

IV. Call to Global Unity

• 40% Coverage Deadline: High-income nations must accelerate delivery to low-income countries for vaccine solidarity.
• Immunization Campaign Capacity: Low-income countries are “proven experts” in large-scale campaigns (polio, measles etc.)—infrastructure exists, but vaccine access is blocked.

Key Takeaways

• Global action required to end vaccine inequity—no pandemic without justice.
• WHO urging G20 leaders & manufacturers to lead vaccine equity in their roles within multilateral taskforce.