Declare COVID-19 vaccines a global common good: Global leaders

Some 105 global leaders including 18 Nobel Laureates have signed a call initiated by Yunus Centre to declare COVID-19 Vaccines as a global common good.

Some 32 former chiefs of states and governments, political leaders, artistes, international NGOs and institutions are among the signatories. 

Muhammad Yunus, Desmond Tutu, Mikhail Gorbachev, Malala Yousafzai, Bono, Richard Branson, Lech Walesa, Jody Williams, Mahathir Mohamad, Lula, George Clooney, Sharon Stone, Forest Whitaker, Leymah Gbowee, Mary Robinson, Tawakkol Karman, Ratan Tata, Azim Premji, Shabana Azmi, Anne Hidalgo, Thomas Bach, Andrea Bocelli and other world leaders made the appeal to declare Corona vaccine a global common good, said the Yunus Centre on Sunday.

The unified appeal is urging action from governments, foundations, philanthropists and social businesses to come forward to produce and/or distribute the vaccines all over the world for free. 

"We invite all social, political, and health entities to re-affirm our collective responsibility for the protection of ALL vulnerable persons without any discrimination whatsoever," the message reads.

They said the COVID-19 pandemic is clearly exposing the strength and weaknesses of healthcare systems in every country and highlights the obstacles and inequities in gaining access to healthcare. 

The effectiveness of the upcoming vaccination campaign will depend on its universality, said the signatories of the appeal.

The signatories pleaded to all world leaders including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Director General of the World Health Organization, religious leaders, social and moral leaders, leaders of research laboratories and pharmaceutical companies and the media to join hands and ensure that in the case of a Covid-19 vaccine, we have a global consensus that it must be deployed as a global common good.

They invite everyone to join the pledge at http://vaccinecommongood.org/

Source: UNB