WHO lauds US support on vaccine waiver

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday appreciated USA’s support for a global waiver on patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines. Describing it as a “historic decision”, he said that the move was a step towards vaccine equity, “prioritizing the well-being of all people everywhere at a critical time”.

“Now let’s all move together swiftly, in solidarity, building on the ingenuity and commitment of scientists who produced life-saving Covid-19 vaccines,” Adhanom added. He has been a staunch supporter of this move since a long time, arguing this would help to ramp up production and make Covid-19 vaccines much more accessible for poorer nations. India & South Africa have been waging support for this cause since the last 7 months. The WHO chief has repeatedly voiced his displeasure against perceived vaccine-hoarding by richer nations.