The World Health Organisation, on Monday, criticized rich countries not only to have Covid vaccines but to do so, hindering the path for developing nations to get them.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that certain rich countries’ direct arrangements with suppliers meant that the previously negotiated distribution of vaccines to developing countries through the Covax scheme had been diminished.
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The director of the UN Health Agency said that funding was available to purchase doses for some of the poorest nations, after fresh donations from the United States, the European Union and Germany—but it was useless if there was nothing to buy.
Tedros said, “We can only have vaccines delivered to the countries who are members of Covax if the high-income countries cooperate in respecting the deals that Covax did.”
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“Some high-income countries are actually approaching manufacturers to secure more vaccines, which is affecting the deals with Covax — and even the amount that was allocated for Covax was reduced because of this,” added he.
Tedros asked the wealthy states to check if their own agreements with pharmaceutical firms are weakening Covax, which poorer countries are dependent on as they wait for their first doses.
