Unequal vaccine access has left most of the world's population vulnerable to contracting Covid-19 and to become fertile ground for Covid-19 mutations.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
AFP PHOTO /APEC NEW ZEALAND/ ZAHN TROTTER
This handout picture taken and released on November 11, 2021 by APEC New Zealand shows China's President Xi Jinping (top L) appearing on a screen via video link during the virtual business conference on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO summit hosted by New Zealand in Wellington.
The leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) vowed during a virtual summit on Friday (12/11) to address regional economic recovery in the region by continuing to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, tackling climate issues and strengthening supply chains.
One of the agreed points was to ensure equitable vaccine access by lowering tariffs for procuring Covid-19 vaccines and related medical supplies. The average vaccine tariff is very low, at about 0.8 percent. A different situation prevails in the procurement of medical supplies such as alcohol solutions, primary packaging, freezers equipment, and rubber stoppers. The average tariff on these medical supplies is 5 percent.
During the virtual summit attended by the heads of the 12 member states including Indonesia, the United States, China, and Russia, it was revealed that China had contributed 1.7 billion vaccine doses from its 2021 target of 2 billion doses and helped 110 countries. The US contributed 64 million vaccine doses (Kompas, 14/11/2021).
We know that equitable access to the vaccines is the key to overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) is targeting 70 percent of the world's population to be fully vaccinated by mid-2022.
The problem that has arisen is that rich countries have been buying up Covid-19 vaccines in large quantities, many times their actual need. On the other hand, many middle- and low-income countries have experienced difficulty in procuring the vaccines. Unequal vaccine access has left most of the world's population vulnerable to contracting Covid-19 and to become fertile ground for Covid-19 mutations.
BPMI SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN
Presiden Joko Widodo menyampaikan pidatonya dalam KTT APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Dialogue with Economic Leaders secara virtual dari Istana Negara, Jakarta, Kamis (11/11/2021).
European countries are again seeing a surge in new infections of Covid-19 with a new virus variant, indicating that all countries must work together in handling the pandemic. In fact, economic recovery is highly dependent on a population’s mobility in relation to labor and supply chain issues. Meanwhile, the spike in new Covid-19 cases has caused a number of countries to reimpose social restrictions.
Apart from unequal access to vaccines, the world also faces the politicization of vaccines. A number of developed countries refuse to recognize vaccines produced by countries outside their group on the grounds that the vaccines’ efficacy has not been proven, even though the WHO has granted emergency use authorization. We have already felt the impacts of this policy in terms of sending workers abroad, umrah (minor pilgrimage) and tourism.
The unresolved pandemic has led to an increase in global food prices as a result of disruptions to global supply chains and mobility restrictions on people in producing countries. International travel restrictions are hitting our tourism industry, too.
The pandemic has also caused uneven recovery, with rich countries recovering faster than developing countries. Indonesia is a developing country that has succeeded in achieving relatively high vaccination coverage and controlling Covid-19 transmission. However, experience shows that no country alone can succeed in overcoming a pandemic.
This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.
