![]() In fact, this approach will take many months to yield any extra doses, which is far too late for millions of people in underserved communities. The waiver of intellectual-property rights under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is not, as some have suggested, a quick fix to immediately increase the supply of vaccines. Those of us in the private sector need to devise new ways to ensure that vaccines are reaching those in need. In recent weeks, Japan, Spain, Sweden, and the United States, among others, pledged more doses to COVAX, but unlocking additional supplies will require continued work with other governments. The IMF and others have called on the governments of advanced economies to contribute $50 billion more to the global vaccination drive. To vaccinate the entire world as quickly as possible, international organizations, governments, health leaders, industry, and civil society must do more. Anchored in a shared commitment to science, innovation, and collaboration, it is driven by a desire to fight the pandemic in the fairest and fastest way possible.īut this collective effort is not nearly enough given the work that still lies ahead of us. It has now been one year since we became the first vaccine producer to commit to the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment, a global initiative to impel manufacturers to produce enough doses to protect developing countries. Moreover, when we established our partnership with the University of Oxford to develop the vaccine, we decided to provide it at no profit, because our top priority was to protect global health. The leaders of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, and the World Trade Organization have noted the world is increasingly at risk of creating a two-track pandemic, with richer countries getting quick access to vaccines while the poorest are left behind.Īt AstraZeneca, we have always viewed the pandemic as a global challenge, which is why we have already shipped our vaccine to more than 160 countries. Moreover, despite our best efforts, the world’s poorest countries are still bearing the heaviest burden. In the face of an evolving virus that will continue to acquire new mutations, a rise in cases anywhere threatens us all. ![]() That means reducing its incidence to zero everywhere, not just within the borders of specific countries. But while some countries have begun to breathe a sigh of relief and imagine a post-pandemic world, the overwhelming majority of the world’s population remains unprotected.ĭeath rates remain unacceptably high, and the continued spread of the virus threatens the progress we have made. Thousands of lives are being saved every day as a result of urgent and committed global collaboration. The vaccination effort has been nothing short of extraordinary. AstraZeneca has contributed 500 million doses to this global effort. This unprecedented global response has led to the development of multiple highly effective vaccines in record time, allowing for more than 2 billion doses to have been administered globally as of this writing. The science and health-care communities have mobilized on a scale never before seen in our lifetime, taking the fight to a deadly virus that is still sweeping the world and leaving a trail of personal loss and economic devastation in its wake. Partnerships, alliances and recognitionĬAMBRIDGE – Although we have come a long way in the fight against COVID-19, the only thing that will alter the course of the pandemic decisively is a genuine act of global solidarity.
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