Dalai Lama calls on G7 for vaccine equity

DHARAMSALA: Faith leaders from around the world, including Tibetan spiritual head the Dalai Lama, have written an open letter to Boris Johnson and G7 leaders ahead of their summit on Friday, calling for vaccine patents to be waived and an increase in funding to ensure vaccines reach the poorest countries and prevent the spread of further COVID variants.

The letter was also signed by former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who now chairs Christian Aid; Emmanuel, the Elder Metropolitan of Chalcedon who represents the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate; Martin Junge, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation; and Thabo Makgoba, the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town.

In the letter they praised the work of the World Health Organisation's Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) which has delivered vaccines to more than 100 countries. But they point out that there remains a huge lack of vaccine equity between rich and poor.

The letter called for additional funding and for bold steps to increase production.

Despite the successes of the ACT-A scheme, they warn that without an injection of funding from G7 leaders progress will stall.

"While many G7 countries have been generous in their contribution to ACT-A, it is a matter of grave concern to us that the financing gap for ACT-A is $19bn this year. As countries seek to increase vaccine coverage rates, the funding gap will grow unless countries step up support.

They concluded, "More equitable approaches to vaccination in the world's poorest countries is both an ethical obligation, and an epidemiological imperative if we are to protect vulnerable people wherever they live, including the citizens of the G7. "The old axiom that 'our life and our death are with our neighbour' has never been more apt, and we urge you to respond speedily and effectively to this challenge." (IANS)

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