Thank you, Mishal.
Honourable Minister Eriksen Søreide,
Honourable Minister Spahn,
Mr Albert Bourla, Mr Richard Hatchett,
Dear colleagues and friends,
Last year I had to leave Davos after the first day to open the WHO Emergency Committee, which was considering the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China.
Tomorrow marks one year since, on the advice of the Emergency Committee, I declared a public health emergency of international concern over the emergence of the novel coronavirus.
At the time, there were fewer than 100 cases and no deaths reported outside China.
This week, we reached 100 million reported cases. More cases have been reported in the past 2 weeks than in the first six months.
The pandemic has exposed and exploited the inequalities of our world.
There is now the real danger that the very tools that could help to end the pandemic – vaccines – may exacerbate those same inequalities.
During the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, safe and effective vaccines were developed, but by the time the world’s poor got access, the pandemic was over.
Nine months ago, WHO, CEPI and Gavi came together, supported by Germany, Norway and other partners, to form the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, including the COVAX vaccines pillar.
The ACT Accelerator and COVAX were conceived with two aims: to develop vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics fast, and distribute them fairly.
The first aim has been achieved. The development and approval of safe and effective vaccines less than a year after the emergence of a new virus is a stunning scientific achievement, and a much-needed source of hope.
Whether the second aim can be achieved remains to be seen.
As we speak, rich countries are rolling out vaccines to their citizens, while the world’s least developed countries watch and wait.
This not only leaves the world’s most vulnerable people at risk, it’s also short-sighted and self-defeating.
Vaccine nationalism will only prolong the pandemic, the restrictions needed to contain it, and human and economic suffering.
A new study by the International Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation shows that vaccine nationalism could cost the global economy up to 9.2 trillion US dollars, and almost half of that – 4.5 trillion – would be incurred in the wealthiest economies.
By contrast, the financing gap for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator stands at 27 billion dollars.
The Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce, John Denton, described fully funding the ACT Accelerator as a “rounding error” compared with the massive stimulus packages implemented in G20 countries.
If fully funded, the ACT Accelerator would return up to 166 dollars for every dollar invested.
Many businesses have global operations that depend on global supply chains.
In our global village, if the virus continues to circulate, those operations and supply chains will continue to be disrupted and the economic recovery will be delayed.
If we lose trust in international collaboration through vaccine nationalism, we will all pay the price in terms of a protracted recovery.
We are asking those governments that have already received deliveries of vaccines to vaccinate their health workers and older people, and share excess doses with COVAX so other countries can do the same.
But we also understand that governments are under political pressure to vaccinate their populations.
I therefore ask the business community to use your influence to convince governments that sharing doses is the best way to control the pandemic globally, restore confidence and reboot the global economic recovery.
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The COVID-19 pandemic is a powerful demonstration that health is not a commodity or a luxury item; it’s a fundamental human right, and the foundation of social, economic and political stability.
Yes, we must work together to end the pandemic. But we must go further. There can be no going back to things as they were.
Together, we must invest in a healthier and safer world.
And a healthier and safer world is also a more productive and prosperous world.
This is not an endeavour for governments alone.
The public and private sectors must work together.
We have good examples from the past year:
In our collaboration with Facebook, Google, and the world’s major media platforms to fight misinformation;
In the collaborations to develop and approve safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines fast and distribute them fairly;
And in our creation of the Solidarity Response Fund and the WHO Foundation – innovative efforts to mobilize support from the private sector for pandemic response and global health.
Colleagues, we face a huge challenge in the coming weeks.
We must ensure that vaccination of health workers and older people is underway in all countries within the first 100 days of this year.
We have just 71 days left. Time is short.
Every moment counts.
I thank you.