Even if world is winning over pandemic, there’s still some communities who are losing: Dr Ryan

Executive Director of World Health Organisation (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme, Dr Mike Ryan, in his recent statement, noted that several countries at the time were facing pandemic related issues, such as lack of access to vaccines, antivirals, tests, primary clinical care, accommodation, information, and nutrition.

Dr Ryan stated, “There’s a huge issue at the centre of the pandemic: marginalization, exclusion & lack of access to vaccines, antivirals, tests, basic clinical care, accommodation, information, nutrition… Declaring victory for the whole world while some still suffer – that’s not fair”.

Following the above statement, he highlights the “inequities” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic onset.

“This pandemic has uncovered so many of these inequities and the fact that if you are living in a society, where you are marginalized, for one thing, you’re likely to be marginalized for many things, and you’re likely to be on the bad end of a COVID experience because of all of that marginalization”.

“So, if we are really to address the issues of the COVID-19 for the future. Yes, we do have to address immunization for the future, and we have also to address how we are doing research and development and how to do surveillance and all of these things; we are working on that right now”.

He then added that although the COVID-19 situation is improving at the global level and winning on the situation, there are still some impoverished or backward communities or parts of a particular nation who are “losing” the situation.

On the other end, WHO highlighted the significance of getting vaccinated against an illness and cited, “Vaccines can create a world where no one dies from preventable disease. When everyone has access to the vaccines they need, people can have peace of mind knowing they are better protected from disease and do more of the things that bring them joy”.