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The world is failing to fight the coronavirus. World Health Organization (WHO) director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this in his speech at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) conference in Tokyo.
“This pandemic is a test, and the world is failing that test,” Tedros said.
“More than 4 million people have died, and people continue to die from Covid-19. The number of deaths this year has already doubled compared to last year. The threat is not over until it is all over the world,” said Tedros, who came to Tokyo at the invitation of the IOC. “More than any event, the Games have the power to inspire the world and capture the world’s attention.”
According to the WHO director, the vaccines against the coronavirus are unevenly distributed around the world. “They are only for the lucky few. So we protect the most privileged, but the vulnerable remain unprotected. This is an appalling injustice.”
Tedros compared the coronavirus to a fire. “If you extinguish part of the flame, the rest will continue to burn. And one spark is enough to ensure that the rest flare up again. So the threat is not over until the fires are all out.
Anyone who thinks the pandemic is over is living in a false paradise. The vaccines are powerful, but the world is not using them well. About 75 percent of vaccines go to just ten countries. As long as that inequality persists, the virus will continue.”
