Bill Gates Calls For More Global Coordination To Fight Covid ‘Health Crisis’
Topline
Billionaire Bill Gates on Tuesday called for better cooperation among countries to fight the global health “crisis” brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, a plea that comes as vaccine access in low-income countries remains uneven as developed nations look to roll out booster shots and pull back on restrictions.
Key Facts
Speaking at South Korea’s National Assembly, Gates said there was a need to “build more partnerships” to help resolve multiple global health challenges including Covid, malaria, measles and polio, the Associated Press reported.
The Microsoft co-founder called on South Korea to take leadership on the issue and said its pledge to donate $200 million to the U.N-backed COVAX vaccine sharing program will help tackle the inequality fighting Covid-19.
Gates’ philanthropy group, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will expand its partnership with South Korea’s government to help with global disease eradication efforts.
After addressing South Korean legislators, Gates also met with the country’s president Yoon Suk-yeol where they discussed the development of South Korea’s own Covid-19 vaccine developed in partnership with Gates’ foundation.
Last month, Gates told Forbes that the Covid-19 pandemic remains “worse than people realize.”
Big Number
20.7%. That is the percentage of people in low-income countries who have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to Our World in Data. In comparison, the number for high-income countries stands at 83%.
Surprising Fact
The pharmaceutical unit of South Korea’s second-largest business conglomerate SK is currently developing a Covid-19 vaccine, with support from the Gates foundation. The vaccine developed by SK Bioscience is in the form of a nasal spray which would be significantly easier to administer, especially in countries which have poor healthcare infrastructure.
