UN Secy Gen Antonio Guterres appeal rich nations to support poor countries in the purchase of coronavirus vaccines

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed to rich nations to support the purchase of coronavirus vaccines for poor countries.

Mr. Guterres said, it is not with vaccine nationalism that we are going to defeat the COVID, it is with international cooperation. He said, the U.N.-backed COVAX programme needs 5 billion dollar until the end of next month. The program, created to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries, currently faces a shortfall of more than 20 billion



dollar, he said.

Urging governments to donate excess doses to COVAX the U.N. chief said, at the same time, he sees countries that have bought more vaccines than several times the volume of their population or at least made the bids in that regard. He noted it is in the best interest of the world to ensure broad immunization because nature always strikes back. If we don’t eradicate the disease, a virus can mutate, he added.