Covid-19 vax ‘imbalance’ must be corrected: Duterte

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has renewed his call for universal access to safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines, stressing that vaccine “imbalance” will have consequences.

Duterte made this pitch during the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) Summit co-hosted by Japan Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and GAVI Chair of the Board Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday, according to a press statement from the Office of the President.

In his speech, he emphasized the current “glaring imbalance” in vaccine distribution with more than 82 percent of the global supply going to developed countries.

“This imbalance must be corrected – or there will be no real and inclusive global recovery to speak of,” Duterte said.

Duterte also reiterated his earlier pledge to donate USD1 million as a contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO)-led COVAX initiative to aid in accelerating global vaccination coverage.

He first mentioned his desire to contribute USD1 million to the COVAX Facility in a pre-recorded public address on Monday.

“It is our moral responsibility to help each other and face this crisis with greater solidarity and urgency. While modest, our contribution demonstrates our firm commitment to this global fight against Covid-19,” he added.

Duterte said the Philippines, as both donor and recipient country, counts on the COVAX initiative to bring much-needed vaccines to developing countries.

He also thanked the GAVI Alliance and encouraged more countries to also contribute.

The Summit was held with the aim to fill the 1.8 billion gap of the COVAX AMC to provide Covid-19 vaccine doses for lower-income economies.

Securing 1.8 billion doses would enable the AMC to protect nearly 30 percent of the population in all AMC countries or roughly half the entire adult population.

Currently, the AMC has funds in place to protect approximately 20 percent of populations, equivalent to all health and social care workers, the elderly, and those with underlying health conditions.