Voice of America
24 Feb 2021, 06:35 GMT+10
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called on the United Nations on Tuesday to guarantee equitable access to coronavirus vaccines.
Speaking at a news conference alongside Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, Lopez Obrador called the current state of vaccine distribution "totally unfair."
"The U.N. has to intervene because it's ... an ornament," he said. "Where is the universal fraternity?"
Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez attend a news conference at the National Palace, in Mexico City, Mexico, Feb. 23, 2021.
Fernandez, who is on a three-day state visit to Mexico, is hoping to develop a hemispheric strategy with Lopez Obrador to address the issue.
"It is fundamental that there is transparency and solidarity in the vaccine rollout," said Fernandez, who had previously discussed the topic with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "I agree with what (Lopez Obrador) did at the U.N. - we have to look for a way to have quick access to the doses and that doesn't leave the poorest countries behind."
On February 15, Lopez Obrador urged the U.N. to call an "urgent meeting" to address vaccine hoarding by the countries responsible for vaccine production. He also pushed for the implementation of mechanisms to guarantee equitable access to vaccines and medications during the pandemic such as COVAX, a vaccine-sharing program co-led by the World Health Organization.
A few days later, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard asked the U.N. Security Council to "avoid hoarding vaccines and accelerate the first stages of COVAX deliveries, to give priority to countries with fewer resources."
A health care worker administers a dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, marketed by the Serum Institute of India (SII) as COVISHIELD, to a woman at a vaccination center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 22, 2021.
"It is urgent to act, to reverse the injustice that is being committed, because the security of all humanity depends on it," Ebrard told the council.
As of last week, three-quarters of the world's first doses had been administered in only 10 countries. Those countries, however, account for 60% of global GDP, Ebrard added.
Mexico has administered at least 1.7 million vaccine doses, inoculating around 0.7% of its population, according to the Reuters COVID-19 Tracker. The country currently ranks third in the world in coronavirus deaths, with at least 180,000 Mexicans having died of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
Get a daily dose of Japan Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Japan Herald.
More InformationTRENTON, NJ - New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a bill to legalize the recreational use of marijuana ...
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered immediate inspections of all Boeing 777-200 planes using Pratt ...
WASHINGTON, DC - Moderna has announced, following approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, that it will place 15 ...
TEL AVIV, Israel: An Israeli study has found the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech effective in preventing laboratory-confirmed ...
Oil prices climbed again on Tuesday after a jump in the morning session, holding near a 13-month high, due to ...
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 26 (ANI): Australian Ambassador to India Barry O'Farrell on Friday met Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief ...
WASHINGTON, DC - Several payment services belonging to the U.S. Federal Reserve came to a standstill on Wednesday, including the ...
SYDNEY, NSW, Australia - Shares across Asia were slammed on Friday sending the major indices tumbling."The bond market is signalling ...
The US is witnessing the strongest housing market boom since 2014, with record-low mortgage rates and a limited supply of ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks tumbled on Thursday as U.S. Treasury yields rose. sparking inflationary fears.Technology stocks took ...
The winter storms that have swept across the U.S., particularly Texas, upending the energy market and knocking out power for ...
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Shares of state-owned oil company Petrobras fell 22 percent on Monday, wiping out $13 billion ...