COVID-19 vaccine: United Nations flags concern as 130 countries haven`t received single dose

Calling the distribution of coronavirus vaccines `widely uneven and unfair`, UN chief Antonio Guterres said that only 10 countries have administered 75 per cent of all vaccinations. He called for a global effort to get all people in every nation inoculated as soon as possible.

New Delhi: United Nations chief Antonio Guterres expressed concern over lack of availability of vaccines in several countries around the world.

Calling the distribution of coronavirus vaccines "widely uneven and unfair", Guterres said that only 10 countries have administered 75 per cent of all vaccinations, He called for a global effort to get all people in every nation inoculated as soon as possible.

While addressing a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council, Guterres said that 130 countries have not received a single dose of vaccine.

"At this critical moment, vaccine equity is the biggest moral test before the global community," he said.

The UN chief demanded an urgent 'Global Vaccination Plan' to bring together those with the power to ensure fair vaccine distribution to ensure all people in every nation get inoculated.

The UN chief urged the leading G20 members to form an emergency task force to bring together "the pharmaceutical companies and key industry and logistics actors".

"To better understand this pandemic and prepare for the next one, all countries must make available all data from the earliest days of any outbreak. And going forward, all countries should participate in a transparent and robust process for preventing and responding to health emergencies, Guterres was quoted as saying by ANI.

Meanwhile, India has provided several lakh doses of coronavirus to a number of countries including Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Brazil, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Algeria, Kuwait and South Africa.