UNGA: African Leaders Sound Alarm over Vaccine Shortage, Widening Global Inequality

UNGA: African Leaders Sound Alarm over Vaccine Shortage, Widening Global Inequality.

World leaders at the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday sounded the alarm over vaccine shortages and how the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened economic recovery and widened inequality across the globe, africanews.com reported.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rang the alarm in his annual state of the world speech at Tuesday’s opening of the U.N. General Assembly’s annual high-level meeting for leaders of its 193 member nations.

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro issued a defense of his administration, rebuffing criticism of its handling of the pandemic and touting recent data indicating less Amazon deforestation.

He said his government supports vaccination, but not vaccine passports or mandates, and doubled-down on “early treatment” drugs such as the anti-malarial hydroxychloroquine, without naming the drug.

While African leaders representing Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, along with Colombian President Ivan Duque and President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte called for vaccine equity and distribution.

“Rich countries for life saving vaccines for poor nations wait for triggers. They now talk of booster shots, where developing countries consider half doses just to get by. This is shocking beyond belief and must be condemned for what it is: a selfish act that can neither be justified rationally or morally,” said Duterte in a prerecorded speech.

Last year, no leader showed up in person because of COVID-19, but this year despite the pandemic still raging over 100 heads of state and government and several dozen ministers are slated to speak from the General Assembly podium during the high-level meeting which ends Sept. 27.

Source: https://www.africanews.com/2021/09/22/african-leaders-at-the-unga-sound-alarm-over-vaccine-shortage-and-widening-global-inequali/ .