WHO Chief Slams 'Vaccine Diplomacy,' Says Delaying Pandemic's End
In unusually strong and blunt language, the Director General of the World Health Organization had some harsh words today for member states engaging in the widespread practice of ‘vaccine diplomacy.’
WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, termed the practice as “geopolitical maneuvering.” He added it is undermining and delaying the end of the coronavirus pandemic.
“To end this pandemic, the only choice we have is cooperation. Vaccine diplomacy is not cooperation. It’s actually a geopolitical maneuvering. It the clean and clear cooperation that can help us to end this pandemic.
“I don’t think this is really something that many don’t understand. Everybody understands it.
“From the WHO side we have been saying that we cannot defeat this pandemic through competition. We can’t. If you compete for resources or for geopolitical advantages then the virus gets advantage. And if there is confrontation, that is the worst…and we have seen confrontation that undermined the whole response, especially last year.
“The choice is clear: global cooperation and global solidarity.
“And what you said - thank you very much for this question - it is undermining or delaying the end of this pandemic.”
“Vaccine diplomacy is not cooperation. It’s actually a geopolitical maneuvering”
The comments were in response to a question from me on whether member states giving away vaccines - either as donations or on a commercial basis - should be held more accountable and act more transparently. I said that many recipients countries were not aware of what they were signing onto when accepting the vaccines. And that in all of the three major vaccine diplomacy countries - China, Russia and India - the pace of vaccination of their own citizens was far behind other countries.
According to a draft manuscript of the book, Digital Pandemic, by early 2021, China was successfully shipping millions of doses of free vaccines to 69 countries – most of them Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) clients – and racing to meet commercial orders with 28 others. Russia seemed to be in a race with China to export its highly touted Sputnik V, which is to be shipped to around 70 countries (including in some EU member states) and manufactured in multiple regions.
“In China’s model of vaccine diplomacy, the clear expectation was that recipient countries must guarantee market access to China and adhere to an unwritten set of diplomatic rules of engagement,” the book says.
In response to the same question, Tedros’ deputies also voiced concern over many vaccine producers moving towards “profit-driven approaches.” Equitable global distribution such as that provided by the COVAX mechanism is the best way forward.
The global vaccine roll-out it remains badly lopsided in favour of wealthier nations. High- and upper-middle income countries represent 53% of the world’s population, but have received 83% of the world’s vaccines. By contrast, low- and lower-middle income countries account for 47% of the world’s population, but have received just 17% of the world’s vaccines, Tedros said.
WHO said that more than 5.4 million Covid-19 cases and almost 90 thousand deaths were reported last week alone.
Click here to view entire Q&A