Countries need to work together to vaccinate 70 per cent of the population in all countries by mid 2022 to end the Covid-19 pandemic, World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday.
The WHO Chief, in a video message, shared resolutions for the new year 2022.
“We must end the pandemic. To do that we need all countries to work together to reach the global target of vaccinating 70 per cent of people in all countries by the middle of 2022,” Ghebreyesus said in the message.
“We need governments to continue using tailored public health and social measures, including testing, sequencing and reporting of variants by all countries without fear of punitive measures,” he further added.
The WHO Chief urged people to keep taking precautions including masks, distancing, avoiding crowds and meeting outside when possible or well ventilated indoor spaces.
Global health security
“We need to build a stronger global framework for global health security. In 2022, countries will start negotiating a global pandemic accord to strengthen the governance, financing and systems and tools the world needs to prevent, prepare for, detect and respond rapidly to epidemics and pandemics,” Ghebreyesus said.
“And third, all countries must invest in stronger primary healthcare as the foundation of universal health coverage. Covid-19 has demonstrated that when health is at risk, everything is at risk,” he added.