Geneva: While after 10 weeks of declines, deaths are increasing again, last week marked the fourth consecutive week of increasing cases of COVID-19 globally, with increases recorded in all but one of World Health Organization’s six regions.
The WHO pointed out that the Delta variant of COVID-19 is ripping around the world at a scorching pace, driving a new spike in cases and deaths. Delta is now in more than 104 countries and the WHO stated last night (IST) that it expected it to soon be the dominant COVID-19 strain circulating worldwide.
“My message today is that we are experiencing a worsening public health emergency that further threatens lives, livelihoods and a sound global economic recovery. It is definitely worse in places that have very few vaccines, but the pandemic is not over anywhere,” WHO Director-General Dr.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Even countries that successfully managed to ward off the early waves of the virus, through public health measures alone, are now in the midst of devastating outbreaks.
In places with high vaccination coverage, Delta is spreading quickly; especially infecting unprotected and vulnerable people and steadily putting pressure back on health systems. In countries with low vaccine coverage, the situation is particularly bad.
“…we’re in the midst of a growing two-track pandemic where the haves and have-nots within and between countries are increasingly divergent,” WHO Director-General said. He mentioned that vaccines had never been the way out of this crisis on their own, “but this current wave is demonstrating again just what a powerful tool they are to battle back against this virus”.
The global gap in vaccine supply is hugely uneven and inequitable. Over the weekend, the G20 finance ministers recognized the importance of funding the ACT Accelerator so that the world can ensure tests, treatments and vaccines are distributed equitably.
“I hope this translates quickly to filling the $16 billion funding gap,” Dr. Ghebreyesus said. He pointed out that currently, data shows that vaccination offers long lasting immunity against severe and deadly COVID-19. “The priority now must be to vaccinate those who have received no doses and protection…The world is watching in real time as the COVID-19 virus continues to change and become more transmissible,” he said.
Meanwhile, the WHO informed that AstraZeneca has led on licensing their vaccines around the world to increase vaccine capacity quickly. “As well as Europe, India and South Korea, I am pleased to announce two more manufacturing sites, in Japan and Australia, which have now received a WHO Emergency Use Listing, bringing AstraZeneca’s EUL’s to five. We need other manufacturers to follow this example,” Dr. Ghebreyesus said.
– global bihari bureau
