Topic:
Country: Mexico
Delegate Name: Sreejay Ramakrishnan
World Health Organization
Vaccine Equity and Access
United Mexican States
Sreejay Ramakrishnan
Forest Hills Eastern
Throughout many nations, there is a rising gap of Health inequity- especially for vaccines. In 2020, the World Health Organization reported that 23 million children missed out on critical vaccinations due to the impacts of the pandemic, 3.7 million more than in 2019. Especially in low-income countries, vaccine access and equity are unfamiliar concepts. The wealth gap, racial discrimination, religion, language, ethnic group, and much more impact an individual’s ability to receive a safe and equal vaccine. It is important that vaccine distribution is safe, and earned public trust, especially during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The WHO carried out the “COVID-19 Immunization in Refugees and Migrants: Principles and Key Considerations Guide” in order to aid countries to carry out equal and efficient Covid vaccine distribution strategies among refugees and migrants, which have been historically medically discriminated and not equal. Vaccines promote a decrease in hospital rates with diseases for example with COVID-19. Vaccine Equity and Access are a worldwide issue because since diseases can spread between countries, it is important that the UN ensures that all countries promote equal access for vaccines in order to achieve a safer world. As stated in Article 25 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, vaccines are one among many rights that should be granted to everyone. The UN should ensure that every single country, receives equal vaccine access and allows equal vaccine distribution to people. This ensures a safer world community.
Over the past years, Mexico has taken avid action with vaccine equity and access. Even though Latin America has taken a severe hit by COVID-19, Mexico was the first country in Latin America to launch a COVID-19 vaccination program, vital to begin the country’s recovery and fight for access to vaccines and supplies. Mexico has been a very active and vocal country in promoting equitable access to materials, supplies, and especially vaccines against COVID-19. Last year, in 2020, before the United Nations General Assembly Mexico presented Resolution 74/274, which was supported by almost 170 countries in the world, to promote equitable access to all these solutions to combat this pandemic. Also, Mexico is the first country in Latin America to participate in the Directing Council of CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and we are also participating in the Council of ACT-A, which is the mechanism against COVID-19 established at the multilateral level by the World Health Organization. Mexico calls for access to vaccines in the world to be considered as a global public good and to consider all the necessary strategies so that their distribution can also include the facilitation of technology transfer for packaging and vaccine production on the five continents.
In a resolution, Mexico looks for equity in vaccine distribution, vaccines to be accessible for everyone who is able, and for all countries to receive vaccinations. All of which ensures that the world as a whole is safer and well protected against COVID-19 as well as other diseases.
