Antonio Guterres: ‘War economy’ needed to boost Covid vaccines

UN chief urges G20 countries to spearhead global inoculation campaign

A patient at a coronavirus centre built by the state at the Commonwealth Games Village Sports Complex during lockdown restrictions in New Delhi, India. Bloomberg

A dose of coronaviris vaccine is given at a drive-through centre set up at the CyberHub marketplace in Gurgaon, Haryana, northern India. Bloomberg

A police officer in Kochi, Kerala state, shelters from the rain as he enforces a lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus. AP Photo

People walk down an alley in New Delhi during a lockdown as coronavirus case numbers increase. AFP

Ruben Mascarenhas, left, and Rakesh Singh, right, the co-founders of the non-profit Khaana Chahiye Foundation, distribute food to the needy outside a railway station in Mumbai. AFP

A health worker prepares a dose of coronavirus vaccine at a drive-through centre set up at the CyberHub open marketplace in Gurgaon, Haryana, northern India. Bloomberg

Christian priests at a cemetery in Prayagraj offer prayers next to the coffin of Father Rolfie D'Souza, who died of Covid-19. AP Photo

A mask seller in New Delhi looks for business during a lockdown as coronavirus case numbers rise. AFP

A man takes a nap in front of closed shops in New Delhi, as the Indian capital continues its lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic. AFP

An Indian coronavirus patient is treated with oxygen in a designated ward at the BDM Government Hospital in Kotputli, Jaipur district, Rajasthan. The hospital is treating 50 people across three wards set aside for Covid-19 patients. Getty Images

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for the "logic and urgency of a war economy" to increase Covid-19 vaccine production and ensure poor countries are not left behind in pandemic recovery efforts.

In declaring that the world was at “war with a virus,” he described vaccines as “our weapons” and urged wealthier countries to play their part in bolstering manufacturing capacity.

Last week, the UN chief suggested G20 countries set up a task force that would bring together financial institutions and nations with production capabilities to spearhead a campaign to end the pandemic.

"It should aim to at least double manufacturing capacity by exploring all options, from voluntary licences and technology transfers to patent pooling and flexibility on intellectual property rights," Mr Guterres told the annual meeting of World Health Organisation member states, which was mostly conducted virtually.

Warning against "a two-speed global response", he said further waves of the coronavirus surges could kill hundreds of thousands, while hampering economic recovery efforts.

"Sadly, unless we act now we face a situation in which rich countries vaccinate the majority of their people and open their economies, while the virus continues to cause deep suffering by circling and mutating in the poorest countries," he said.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the meeting that at least 115,000 health and care workers have died from Covid-19, which has killed more than 3.64 million people globally.

He called on the global community to vaccinate at least 10 per cent of each country’s population by September and 30 per cent by the end of the year.

“There is no diplomatic way to say it – a small group of countries that make and buy the majority of the world’s vaccines control the fate of the rest of the world,” he said.

Visitors ride on a rollercoaster at Europa Park in Rust, western Germany, on the re-opening day of the park following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions. AFP

An employee welcomes visitors as they enter Europa Park in Rust. Europa Park is one of the first major theme parks in Germany to reopen its doors to visitors. AFP

A nurse shaves a patient suffering from Covid-19 at the Intensive Care Unit of the "Klinikum Darmstadt" clinic in Darmstadt, Germany. Reuters

A cinema employee does a last-minute clean before people arrived to watch a film at the Freiluftkino Kreuzberg open-air cinema for the first time this year in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images

Swimmers exercise in an open air pool in Berlin, Germany. Authorities are easing lockdown measures across Germany. Getty Images

Pedestrians walk down the Kohlmarkt shopping street in Vienna, Austria. Western Europe is beginning to loosen restrictions to contain the coronavirus. Bloomberg

A restaurant worker waits for customers alongside an outdoor dining area in the Naschmarkt in Vienna, Austria. Bloomberg

Workers wait to collect a coronavirus disease swab sample in the Fira of Barcelona, Spain. Reuters

People sit outdoors at a restaurant terrace near Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France. Cafe and restaurant terraces reopened this week after a pandemic shutdown of more than six months. AP Photo

Global leaders are speaking at the gathering as they try to plot their way out of the pandemic and ensure the world is better prepared for health emergencies.

Two of the EU’s most powerful figures said the WHO should be empowered with lasting support.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the health body must be “robust” and “flexible” in times of crisis.

“It must be completely transparent to make sure that people trust the organisation. There must not be any political pressure and there must not be any suspicion of pressure that has been exerted,” he said.

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel backed a global health threats council, suggested previously by an independent WHO panel, to improve prevention and response.

“The pandemic reminds us in particular of just how important international co-operation is. The WHO should therefore continue to play a leading role in global health care,” she said.

“If it is to do so, however, we must provide it with lasting financial and personnel support. We have been talking about this for years but now it is all the more important to act.”