NEW YORK CITY: Pakistan ambassador at the United Nations Munir Akram has said universal vaccine coverage is the “only realistic way out” of the coronavirus pandemic.
In his closing statement at “A Vaccine for all” — a Special Ministerial Meeting organised by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a body Akram also heads — the ambassador stressed to work with the global bodies that are in the lead for collective action.
In his address, the ambassador also called for scaling up production, addressing intellectual property issues, supporting weak health systems, removing export restrictions, and funding the World Health Organisation (WHO) Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT)‑Accelerator and COVAX (Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access) initiative.
He also advocated temporary suspension of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) restrictions to expand the production of Covid-19 vaccines.
Decisive steps towards universal access to vaccines are a prerequisite for economic recovery, Akram stressed.
Observing that lives are important than incentives, Akram sought investment in the Covid-19 vaccine developers to boost the production of shots.
He said the world needs to release the stock of excess shots held by some countries and to end the export-related and other restrictions, which he said are displays of vaccine nationalism.
He stressed equipping developing countries to build the logistics, storage, and distribution capacities that they will need to distribute the vaccine equitably within the country.
On the occasion, UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir said: “No topic is as relevant or pertinent to the world today as that of vaccines.”
Acknowledging that “our efforts have not been perfect”, Bozkir stressed that “we must finish what we have started” and pressed governments to recommit to the principles of human solidarity and cooperation.
The progress made to date is the result of countries working with hundreds of companies and thousands of scientists, he said. “Multilateralism at its finest.”
With a view to ensuring the goal of vaccines for all, he said, UN member states should extend resources to COVAX, invest in vaccine research, production and distribution, donate vaccines to countries in need and tackle misinformation to ensure that everyone is educated on the benefits of inoculation.
“It is the job of the United Nations and its Member States to act on these demands,” Bozkir stressed.
Simple experiment!
If you woke up a professional beggar in middle of his sleep, how he looks (see in picture) what he utters?.. begging any in kind or usds….. or vaccines?