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The World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom noted that the number of vaccinations globally had surpassed the numbed of infections recorded. /Daniel Chetroni/EyeEm/Getty Creative via VCG
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday urged the world to match the urgency and resources deployed in developing COVID-19 vaccines in distributing them.
The call was made by the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom, who was speaking at the at All-Ukrainian Forum of the President of Ukraine.
"As you know, several vaccines have now been approved and are being rolled out. This is an incredible scientific achievement. No vaccines in history have been developed as fast as these," said Tedros.
"Now, the urgency, ambition and resources with which vaccines have been developed must be matched by the same urgency, ambition and resources to distribute them fairly."
The WHO chief noted that the number of vaccinations globally had surpassed the numbed of infections recorded.
He however expressed concern that more than three quarters of those vaccinations are in just 10 countries that account for almost 60% of global GDP.
"Almost 130 countries, with 2.5 billion people, are yet to administer a single dose," he said.
He called upon the countries with the vaccines to share with those that had not obtained the shots in order to ensure a unified global fight against the virus.
"That's because the longer it takes to vaccinate those most at risk everywhere, the more opportunity we give the virus to mutate and evade vaccines," said Tedros.
The WHO chief also warned against complacency in observing health protocols even as vaccines continue to be availed.
He noted that the gains made so far in the fight against COVID-19 can easily be washed away if people let their guard down.
"Every life that is lost now is all the more tragic as vaccines are allowing us to see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
Tedros remarks came as the number of COVID-19 infections globally surpassed the 106.2 million mark with a death toll exceeding 2.3 million, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University.
