ROME (ITALPRESS) – “As we prepare for the next pandemic, our priority must be to ensure that we all overcome the current one together. We need to vaccinate the world and do it quickly.” Thus the Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, opened the work of the Global Health Summit which together with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, signed the Rome Declaration. “The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated our societies. More than 3.4 million people have died from the virus according to official data, but the death toll is certainly much higher. The global crisis is not over. We must act quickly – he added – otherwise these human, economic and social costs are likely to rise again significantly. After a year and a half, we are beginning to see the end of this tragedy. For the first time, normalcy is approaching. Unfortunately, in many other areas of the world, the pandemic shows no sign of abating. The differences in vaccination rates are staggering. Nearly 1.5 billion doses of vaccines have been administered, in over 180 countries around the world. Only 0 3% of these are in low-income countries, while the richest countries have administered nearly 85%. These disparities are not only unacceptable. They are also a threat. ” “As long as the virus continues to circulate freely around the world, it can dangerously mutate and compromise even the most successful vaccination campaign. We need to make sure vaccines are more available to poorer countries. It is essential to allow free circulation of raw materials. and vaccines beyond borders, “he added. Draghi then stressed that there will probably be a need for more vaccination cycles in the future, “and increasing production is essential. One proposal is to introduce a patent suspension on Covid-19 vaccines. Italy is open to this idea. , in a targeted manner, limited in time and which does not jeopardize the incentive to innovate for pharmaceutical companies “. The prime minister then said he was satisfied with the results achieved, “the pandemic has shown that we must overcome borders if we are to face the challenges of our times. The commitment of international organizations will be fundamental, the removal of export bans and ensure a continuous flow of the supply chain of medical devices. We have found that the complete opening of borders is essential to produce vaccines and ensure that doses are distributed to all. If there is one part of the world that has behaved better – he continued – this is Europe, we desperately needed vaccines but we continued to export to countries that instead blocked their exports. This is the reality of our experience “. Finally Draghi reassured that the commitments of the countries present at the Summit are being kept: “There is the conviction of sincere words at the base and this leads us to have no doubts that the commitments will be kept in the future. There is perhaps also the desire to remedy the injustices and inequities that occurred in the most difficult period. Now I have no doubt that the heavy commitments in terms of help will be maintained, but it is very important to equip ourselves for the next time when there will be a pandemic that will surprise us to avoid the ‘selfishness”. The summit “is the first step, the work will continue, there is a great desire to continue to reach concrete results not only for the immediate but also for the future”, he concluded. According to the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Rome Declaration “is a historic and special event. For the first time we have the G20 and countries have committed themselves to basic principles, that of multilateralism. What is important is that it is a very clear no to nationalism in terms of health, a clear no to export bans, a clear no to bottlenecks and obstacles and the G20 countries have agreed on this. I control the pandemic all over the world, not only in some countries but everywhere. We now have safe and effective vaccines and this has been possible thanks to the investments made, but the gap between high and low-income countries remains too wide “. “The first objective today is to give an incentive to middle and low income countries with practical actions, first of all we must allow the exports of vaccine doses to the rest of the world while keeping the supply chains open. Before the summit, our industrial partners were committed to 1.3 billion vaccine doses that will be delivered by the end of this year to low-income countries, at no profit. In addition to this our industrial partners have committed to 1.3 billion additional doses to 2022 “. Finally, the European green pass. “Our goal is to be ready in June, yesterday a political agreement was reached and it is a precondition for moving forward. We are in May and we are trying to carry out tests in the various member states, which must do their part – he concluded. Von der Leyen – most of them are ready. Italy is doing an excellent job. We are ready in June with a European certificate to relaunch tourism. WHO has approved the certificate, we have given criteria to all member states and this allows interoperability with third countries. The prospect is to apply the green pass also to third countries that will join “. (ITALPRESS). tan / sat / red 21-May-21 19:40
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