Who cares for the poor nations?
As winter is all set to make its presence in many countries the worries too are piling up for the leadership as the battle against the deadly covid-19 has not reached any point where the leaders would feel some ease.
The disease is still killing and infecting people with many countries failing to understand about the virus peak being achieved and a decline making its presence felt. The concerns among world leaders have infact grown as the same were reflected during the UN summit in Johannesburg.
Many world leaders at the virtual UN summit hoped that a vaccine will be made available and affordable to all countries, rich and poor. But with the US, China and Russia opting out of a collaborative effort to develop and distribute a vaccine, and some rich nations striking deals with pharmaceutical companies to secure millions of potential doses, the poor countries are in a fix.
Interestingly, more than 150 countries have joined COVAX, in which richer countries agree to buy into potential vaccines and help finance access for poorer ones. But the absence of Washington, Beijing and Moscow means the response to a health crisis unlike any other in the UN’s 75 years is short of truly being global.
Instead, the three powers have made vague pledges of sharing any vaccine they develop, likely after helping their own citizens first.
With weeks remaining before a deadline for countries to join COVAX, which is co-led by the UN’s World Health Organisation, many heads of state are used the UN meeting as a high-profile chance to wheedle, persuade and even shame the big powers, but to no avail.
The world has come to a situation where 7.8 billion people need a vaccine at almost the same time. That has led to difficult questions: Who will get vaccine doses first? Who is making private deals to get them? And will the poor nations be able to get the doses needed for its population that can ill afford to get the vaccine in open market that too at a whooping cost.
The concerns raised by the world leaders were even seconded by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying to think that it will bea stupid mistake to think about preserving the rich people, and let the poor people suffer.
But how to get the vaccine available for the poorer countries is a question that no answers so far. The real issue is to ensure real measures and mechanisms to be put in place to make sure poor countries, and within them the poorest of poor, have access to the vaccine.
All this can be possible when strong economies and developed nations take a pledge of ensuring the availability of vaccine to smaller and weaker nations under the technology transfer plans.
