The theme of this year’s World Health Day is “Building a Fairer, Healthier World”, and it calls on us to pay greater attention to addressing inequities. The pre-COVID world was already an unequal one. Unfortunately, the pandemic has amplified many existing inequities, and even created new ones.

Address by WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Dr Takeshi Kasai, on the occasion of World Health Day 2021, the theme of which is “Building a fairer, healthier world”

As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines begin to reach the Western Pacific Region, the World Health Organization (WHO) is working hard to support governments to introduce the vaccines to their populations, and to urge continued vigilance.

The news of COVID-19 vaccines starting to roll out in countries around our Region is very promising. Safe and effective vaccines will be an important tool, alongside all the other tools we already have, to protect people from COVID-19 and save lives.