João Lourenço spoke last Friday at the United Nations High Level Meeting on Vaccination against Covid-19, which took place under the motto "Galvanization Moment for Universal Vaccination. Challenges in the Production and Distribution of the Vaccine to Low Countries Vaccination Coverage against Covid-19".
"For two years, our countries have suffered unequally from the negative effects of the covid-19 pandemic in the fields of health and economic and social development", said the President.
According to João Lourenço, countries suffer unequally, "because the richest nations are now well protected with around 80 percent of their populations vaccinated and many offering a third or even a fourth booster dose."
"But in many of our countries, vaccine coverage against covid-19 is very low and insufficient to prevent the collapse of our health systems and the deepening of poverty", he said.
The head of state defended that it is necessary to guarantee that each developing country fulfills its vaccination plan, a premise that must be a global objective.
"Universal vaccination is the only way to prevent the spread of this virus, the only way to end the pandemic and ensure the full recovery of the world economy", he stressed.
According to João Lourenço, the concerted action of GAVI/Covax - a mechanism to distribute vaccines to the poorest countries - has already allowed a billion doses to flow through developing countries.
However, he warned, it will be necessary for the richest countries and with more stable economies to make donations to Covax of at least five billion dollars in additional resources to urgently acquire about 600 million doses and to support the implementation of national campaigns. of vaccination.
In this way, João Lourenço stressed, Covax vaccines, along with those provided by other multilateral initiatives, including the African Union Procurement Fund, will have the necessary tools to support national and regional strategies to respond to the pandemic.
For the President, these mechanisms must become more flexible and better respond to the needs of countries, guaranteeing vaccine expiration dates and a regular flow in their supply.
"That way, low-income countries will not be left behind again, thus ensuring that we can move forward together towards a healthier and safer world globally," he said.
