2021-12-08-世界卫生组织-Remarks_by_Jonas_Gahr_Støre,_Prime_Minister,_Norway_at_the_8_th_ACT-Accelerator_Facilitation_Council_2页_109kb

Summary of Remarks by Jonas Gaeh Stor, Prime Minister of Norway

Context

This summary details Prime Minister Jonas Gaeh Stor's address at the 8th ACT-Accelerator Facilitation Council on 9 December 2021, focusing on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and calls for global action.

Key Messages

• The pandemic persists, with over 5 million deaths and trillions spent on mitigation, exacerbated by new variants emerging.
• Inequities in accessing vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics are driving additional deaths, straining health systems, stalling economic recovery, and widening inequality.
• The ACT-Accelerator provides a comprehensive strategy to accelerate access to COVID-19 tools, having delivered more than 520 million vaccine doses, 148 million tests, and supplies of oxygen and PPE.
• Full funding is urgently needed, with Norway committing an additional 220 million USD for the 2022 budget, which aims for 70% vaccination coverage by mid-2022. This investment could save 5 million lives and prevent $5.3 trillion in economic losses over five years.
• Stor emphasized ending the pandemic through global cooperation and urging countries to contribute their fair share, while drawing lessons from past unpreparedness to improve future pandemic responses.

Essential Conclusions

• Immediate funding and equitable distribution are critical to overcoming the pandemic and fostering global recovery.
• The speech underscores that inaction risks new variant waves and broader economic harm.