Covid-19 vaccine: Send vaccines to poorer nations now, no wait till you get surplus – Okonjo-Iweala to UK goment

vaccine

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Di new head of di World Trade Organization tell BBC say UK must donate Covid-19 vaccines give poor countries now now and no wait until dem get surplus.

Di new head of di joinbodi Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala say na for di interest of rich countries say make all countries get di vaccine.

Dis tok dey come afta Prime Minister wey remain Boris Johnson yarn say UK go dash dia vaccines wey remain give poor kontris.

On Friday, G7 leaders promise to cooperate more on Covid-19.

Dem agree to increase their contribution to di Covax vaccine-sharing initiative, wey go reach at least 1.3 billion doses to poor populations worldwide very soon.

As she dey react to UK goment plans to donate dia surplus vaccines give developing world, Ms Okonjo-Iweala tell BBC Radio 4’s Today programme say na better thing but warn say delay fit dey dangerous.

“I no think say make we wait until surplus dey wen oda pipo don already get,” she said. “I think say any donations wey wan come, must come now.

“Di reason dey very simple. E dey in di interest of rich countries plus di poor countries to get equal access.”

WTO DG Okonjo Iweala

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G7 leaders for inside joint statement dem release afta di virtual summit on Friday say dem don join hands to increase dia committment to di Covax scheme go $7.5bn (£5.3bn).

Di leaders’ commitments dey come just days after UN secretary general António Guterres claim say di distribution of vaccines no dey equal and e no dey fair.

Just 10 countries don administer 75% of all vaccinations worldwide, while 130 countries neva even receive one single dose of di vaccine, he tok.

Manufacturing na di biggest challenge in providing di vaccines to people quickly, Ms Okonjo-Iweala tok

She encourage manufacturing companies to issue more licenses in developing countries, so poorer regions go fit also dey produce di vaccine.