In an urgent appeal for global health solidarity and equitable vaccine access, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is launching a G20 Manifesto and a ticking clock counting down to the G20 summit in Rome, Italy, this October. The Manifesto outlines seven actions G20 leaders must take before the meeting to Vaccinate Our World and put the world on a path to defeating the pandemic. The full text of the Manifesto and the clock are viewable on the campaign website at www.vaccinateourworld.org/.
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Even though lifesaving vaccines are available in a handful of wealthy countries, the majority of people around the world – particularly in Africa and Asia – simply have no access to them. COVAX, which was supposed to be a vaccine lifeline for lower-income countries, has fallen far short of the need, which is why the G20 must do more to ramp up vaccine production and distribution worldwide. If there is even just one country left unprotected from COVID-19, no country is safe.
“It’s paramount that the G20 immediately begin implementing real actions that can correct the vaccine disparities plaguing most countries,” said Terri Ford, Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy at AHF. “We’re issuing this Manifesto and starting a countdown to the G20 summit in Rome because there is currently no sense of urgency to vaccinate our world. G20 leaders must be the catalyst for ensuring global vaccine equity, and their annual meeting is the ideal venue to make it happen. Anything less would be an injustice and all but guaranteeing millions more preventable deaths.”
The G20 Manifesto lists specific actions that can help get lifesaving vaccines to everyone who needs them. They are as follows:
- Support patent waivers on COVID-19 vaccines and technology transfers to developing countries to increase vaccine production and Vaccinate Our World.
- Increase access to genomic sequencing technology so that all countries can effectively monitor the emergence and spread of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.
- Raise $100 billion – enough to secure sufficient doses to Vaccinate Our World now.
- Commit to global cooperation as the only way to address pandemics – no country is safe until all countries are protected.
- Mandate the sharing of all global public health-related information and data – 100% transparency is essential.
- Expand the mandate of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to establish it as the primary funding mechanism to combat the current and future pandemics.
- Draft a new Global Public Health Convention to serve as the worldwide health governance system to rapidly respond to future outbreaks and pandemics.
AHF calls on everyone to join the fight for fair vaccine access by reading and sharing the G20 Manifesto as far and wide as possible, then pledging to protect all humanity at vaccinateourworld.org. Together, we can convince G20 leaders to step up and end this pandemic!
SOURCE: AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
