Topic:
Country: Japan
Delegate Name: Madison Gruber
The World Health Organization urges leaders to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session to guarantee equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and other lifesaving tools. Additionally, ensuring the world is equipped to respond to future pandemics and renew efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Vaccines are the most critical tool to end the pandemic and save lives. More than 5.7 vaccine doses have been administered globally. However, 73% of all doses have been distributed in just ten countries. Richer countries have administered 61 times more doses per inhabitant than poorer countries. The longer this vaccine inequity persists, the more the virus will continue circulating and evolving. The WHO hopes to vaccinate at least 40% of the population of every country by the end of 2021 and 70% by the summer of 2022. These targets are achievable if countries and manufacturers make substantial strides towards vaccine equity. Even as countries focus on ending this pandemic, the world must also prepare for future pandemics and other health emergencies. Through global unity, we will be able to put an end to this unruly pandemic.
