September 23, 2021, Washington D.C. – CARE is encouraged by the vision laid out by President Biden at the COVID Summit for countries, private sector, and civil societies to come together to vaccinate 70% of the world by the end of 2022 but current pace of action and proposed pledges are not enough to get achieve the bold goal of global vaccination coverage by 2022
“The current roadmap to achieve the 70% target is not bold enough and will not get us there,” CARE Vice President of US Programs and Policy, Ritu Sharma said. “The target of $10 billion to support global vaccine delivery is a small start. CARE’s analysis shows the true global cost of getting the vaccine from the tarmac into people’s arms, and properly supporting healthcare and frontline workers would cost upward of $190 billion.”
Currently only 2% of people in low -income countries are vaccinated. CARE CEO Michelle Nunn recently stated in an editorial for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, “This (COVID summit) must be the beginning of an urgent and comprehensive process – not a missed opportunity like the last G7 COVID Summit, which talked around the reality of billions of unvaccinated people but missed the boldness and concerted action that is required. The longer this goes on, the more it is a self-made crisis --a problem that could be relegated to the poorest and most-vulnerable for years to come.”
Sharma said, “Targets and pledges must be turned into action – now, not next year – and we must work together to go above and beyond the targets set at the Summit to truly deliver on saving lives now, rebuilding resiliency, and achieving 70% vaccination over the next year. Words alone will not end this pandemic.”
For more information, contact:
Rachel Kent
CARE Senior Press Officer
[email protected]