UN chief: ‘We cannot defeat a pandemic in an uncoordinated way’

(United Nations News) Arguing that the world “cannot defeat a pandemic in an uncoordinated way”, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday that countries “must take concrete action in the coming days” to vaccinate 40 per cent of the world’s population by the end of the year.  

Speaking to journalists in New York, António Guterres also asked Member States to be “far more ambitious” in their efforts to reach 70 per cent of people in all countries by the middle of 2022, a goal established by the World Health Organization (WHO).  

Just days from the deadline, 98 countries have not been able to meet that end-of-year target, and 40 nations have not yet even been able to vaccinate 10 per cent of their population. In lower-income countries, less than 4 per cent of the population is immunised.  

“Vaccine inequity is giving variants a free pass to run wild – ravaging the health of people and economies in every corner of the globe”, Mr. Guterres said.  

Read more at: United Nations News

Source: CARICOM TODAY