UN chief says $8 billion urgently needed for global vaccination program

Speaking at the World Health Summit 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on G20 countries to help allocate money for equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines worldwide.

Report informs citing foreign media that the event was held in Berlin and aired on YouTube.

Guterres indicated that the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus plans to launch a global vaccination. Gebreyesus's strategy envisions delivering vaccines to 40% of people worldwide by the end of 2021 and 70% by mid-2022.

To implement the plan, $8 billion is needed, the UN Secretary-General noted and called on the G20 to help.

Earlier, the WHO chief said the world has all the tools to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. Ghebreyesus stressed that countries that have already reached 40% vaccination rates, including the G20 countries, should share vaccine doses.