The World Health Organization (WHO) is demanding rich countries (G-20) support of about $23.4 billion to address inequities in global access to vaccines and treatment by October 2022.

For WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus, this is "a defining moment, requiring decisive leadership to make the world safer." 

The requests made to the G-20 include providing assistance for a comprehensive framework for global health security through a legally binding treaty. 

Finally, the UN agency wants the world's largest economies to welcome the creation of a Health Threat Financing Council. The initiative will be supported by a Financial Intermediary Fund, organized by the World Bank. 

To date, the WHO has identified nearly 244 million confirmed cases of the disease, including 4,961,000 deaths from the coronavirus. 

The WHO also highlights that one of the factors slowing the delivery of immunizers is the "impending shortage" of up to 2.2 billion disposable syringes to administer the vaccine and perform routine immunizations, preventing an increase in their manufacture. 

The agency's regional office for Africa reported that at the moment there is no stock of specific syringes because there is high demand. The situation is expected to remain at least until the first quarter of 2022. 

The WHO Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, revealed that so far the continent has 77 million people with full immunization, which is only 6% of its population. 

At least 30 countries that rely solely on Covax have no other source of vaccines The Covax mechanism, an element of the ACT Accelerator specializing in vaccine distribution, has distributed some 400 million doses in more than 140 low- and middle-income countries.  

Another 82 or so nations will probably not reach the WHO's global goal of ensuring 40% immunization coverage by the end of the year. This goal can be achieved with a boost in supplies. 

Source: UN News