World leaders urge richest nations to help vaccinate poor countries

LONDON: Around 230 world leaders have so far backed the campaign urging G7 countries to help vaccinate the world’s poorest nations and low-income economies against the COVID-19 infection. The campaign is to have G7 countries pay two-thirds of an estimated $66 billion required to vaccinate low-income nations.

According to the Guardian newspaper, a letter addressed to leaders of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Canada, argues that investment needed for the vaccination drive is affordable for the world’s richest economies and vital to stop the spread of new coronavirus variants, which could potentially undermine current vaccines. It noted that fewer than 2 per cent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa have been administered with the COVID-19 vaccine.

The signatories of the letter include Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, former Prime Ministers of Britain. Ban-Ki Moon, former United Nations Secretary General; Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland; and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and 15 former African leaders are also among the signatories of the letter. The letter notes the failure of global cooperation in 2020 and urge the G7 nations to make 2021 the start of a new era. “No one anywhere is safe from coronavirus until everyone is safe everywhere,” it added.

The letter argues that G7 and G20 nations’ support in making vaccines readily accessible to low and middle-income countries is not an act of charity, but is rather every country’s strategic interest. The International Monetary Fund had said that it will be the best investment in history.