Kathmandu (October 19, 2021) In a final advocacy push ahead of the G20 Summit later this month in Rome, Italy, Vaccinate Our World (VOW) activists in Nepal will continue their efforts to urge leaders of the world’s wealthiest countries to ensure global COVID-19 vaccine access by sending letters to G20 embassies and displaying advocacy messages on digital display boards in Kathmandu. The VOW call-to-action is part of the global campaign led by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF).
Wealthy nations, many of which are G20 countries, have drawn global criticism for purchasing, hoarding, and administering the bulk of global COVID-19 vaccines to date and not demanding that pharmaceutical companies share the vaccine recipes and technologies required to increase worldwide production. As of mid-October, there have been enough vaccine doses administered globally to vaccinate nearly half of the world’s population—but sadly—almost 80% of all global vaccinations have occurred in wealthy countries.
“COVID-19 continues to devastate entire regions in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and beyond – all due to a preventable lack of lifesaving vaccines,” said AHF Nepal CPM, Divya Raj Joshi. “Even though Nepal has managed to get at least one dose to nearly 29% of its citizens, that is not enough – and many countries are suffering far worse. Barely 7% of Africans have gotten a shot, and in low-income countries, only 2.5% of people have received even one dose. We urge the G20 to do everything necessary to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable and Vaccinate Our World!”
AHF Nepal’s advocacy actions are just a handful of the many VOW events that have spanned numerous countries over recent months in the lead-up to the G20 Summit. Activists are also urging increasing access to genomic sequencing to monitor dangerous variants of the virus, raising $100 billion – enough to Vaccinate Our World, committing to international cooperation as the primary way to address pandemics, and drafting a new Global Public Health Convention to serve as the worldwide health governance system to rapidly respond to future outbreaks.
“Our call-to-action message has been clear from the start – if even one nation is vulnerable to COVID-19 due to a lack of vaccines, then all countries are in danger,” said Dr. Chhim Sarath, Bureau Chief for AHF Asia. “Leaders from G20 countries must commit to real action at their upcoming Summit to ensure that all nations, regardless of geographic location or economic status, have the vaccines required to protect their citizens and end the pandemic. In an interconnected world, that cooperation must start with ensuring that vaccine manufacturers share their taxpayer-funded know-how and technology to boost worldwide production. Let’s go, G20 – time is running out for you to help Vaccinate Our World!”
Learn more by visiting VaccinateOurWorld.org, where you can pledge as an individual or as an organization to fight for vaccine access across the globe.
