Vaccine for Peace

Last Updated (Tuesday, 02 February 2021 13:14)

Equal Distribution of Vaccine is The Only Way!

 

Criticism is mounting that wealthy countries are "buying up" the Covid- 19 vaccines. WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said "The world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure. And the price of this failure will be paid with lives and livelihoods in the World's poorest countries…, and ultimately this actions only prolong the pandemic."

At the end of December 2020, officials including the president were vaccinated against COVID-19 with Russia's Sputnik V. Nearly a month later (January 23, 2021) 60 million people worldwide have been vaccinated. But Still, no single Western-approved vaccine has been administered in any African countries, with a 2.5% mortality rate. The polarization of the vaccination is going on in a cruel manner. For reference, the global mortality rate is 2.14 percent.

Besides, rich countries with 16% of the world's population purchased 60% of the world's vaccine supply (Global Health Innovation Center of the Duke University). Even the countries with 1% of the world's confirmed cases have already secured more vaccines than all countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, which have more than 20% of the world's confirmed cases. Canada has secured vaccine five times than its population, bringing international criticism.

The Covid-19 global pandemic is hard to control without international co-operation as most countries pay more attention to public opinion in their countries than to international cooperation. Buying up food and masks, which continued to happen last year, is being repeated even in the situation of vaccination. If this continues, vaccination of the world's population may become difficult even until 2024.

The ghost of vaccine polarization wanders around the world under a pandemic hell. It's a vicious cycle. As the result, the spread and mutation of Covid-19 and the psychological virus of polarization will continue indefinitely around the world. Can we allow this to happen?

Larry Brilliant, an expert on fighting pandemics, said, "Unless everyone in the world is safe, no one can be safe." Vaccines are giving an answer to effective management of Covid-19, at the same time throwing the fundamental question of coexistence of humankind.

The vaccine mercilessly exposed the challenges of global society that have long existed, such as polarization and climate justice . How would it be possible to realize global coexistence beyond the international politics towards hegemony and the greed machine called ‘capital’ infinitely re-generating itself?

First of all, in the absence of a global government, it is necessary to strengthen the governance of the UN and WHO, where the interests of the hegemonic countries are realized against those of the Global South. And the effective management of Covid-19 will eventually fail with nationalistic approaches in the world where interdependence among nations have been intensified in the name of globalization.

Furthermore, global action is needed for solidarity of global civil societies and coexistence of the world. It is needed to ensure more vulnerable people, such as healthcare workers who are voluntarily exposed to the virus, the elderly, essential workers, refugees, and migrant workers be vaccinated first. It is critical time for everyone to step up to grip the last opportunity towards building a world of coexistence based on justice and equity.

YMCA, the biggest youth organization that was grounded in grassroots movement all over the world, have served our people and communities in every corner of the globe to combat the pandemic. YMCAs were struggling with millions of people even when we ourselves faced with many challenges and difficulties.

Now, when the world is suffering from unprecedented chaos and despair and international cooperation, which is the key to solving this crisis, are not working, YMCAs are called to go beyond the borders and cooperate with the peoples across the world. And the first step is to play a role in the "equal distribution of vaccines" through which the values of human rights, justice and equity can be realized in the international communities.

 

 

Vaccine for Peace! The equal distribution of vaccines is the only way to overcome Covid-19 global pandemic.

 

Kim Kyung – min

General Secretary – NCY of Korea