G20 summit back ‘equitable’ global access to COVID-19 vaccines

The topic of corona virus, and the vaccines that have accelerated the pace of its announcement, dominated in the recent period, the words of the G20 summit, which is held virtually, and was inaugurated by the Saudi King, Salman bin Abdulaziz, through his emphasis on ensuring a fair distribution of vaccines.

For her part, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the G20 platform will distribute 2 billion doses of corona vaccine to the world.

"The global response to combating corona is essential," Merkel added, during her participation in an accompanying event on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders Summit, on strengthening pandemic preparedness.

For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the need to ensure that vaccines reach everyone, and Putin added, in his speech, that "the challenges that humanity faced in 2020 are unprecedented, and the pandemic has caused a systemic economic crisis that the world has not witnessed since the Great Depression."

Topping the summit agenda is the global procurement and distribution of vaccines, medicines and tests in low-income countries, which cannot afford these expenses alone.

It is expected that the closing statement of the summit, Sunday, will include a commitment from the leaders of the 20 largest economies in the world to finance the fair distribution of preventive vaccines against Covid-19, as well as medicines and tests around the world, so that they are not deprived of them by poor countries.

In addition to equitable distribution, the draft final statement included the leaders ’pledge to try to reduce the debt burden on poor countries, and the leaders said in the draft, according to Reuters, “we ​​will spare no effort until we ensure that they (vaccines) reach all people in a fair, and affordable price, consistent with Members' obligations to stimulate innovation. "

They also considered that the global economy began to recover, but the recovery is still "uneven and highly uncertain, and subject to increasing negative risks."

While the European Union called on the group's countries to provide 4.5 billion dollars, at the end of the year, to finance tools to fight Covid-19 for the poorest countries.

In the framework of ensuring better preparation for any other pandemic in the future, the leaders said that they would commit to "accelerating global preparedness for any epidemic, and means of prevention, monitoring and dealing with it."

T/S

ANHA