New Delhi, Aug 26 : People in low and middle-income nations confronted’systemic discrimination against them in the Covid-19 global response, resulting in millions of people not having access to vaccines, tests or treatments, a major report was released on Friday.Researchers who studied communities in 14 middle and low-income countries and territories discovered that the combination of inadequate supply of medicines and vaccines, inadequate funding of health system, inadequate evaluation of health workers and insufficient adaption to the local requirements were major reasons behind the low rates of vaccination.
Furthermore, community health workers have been called “modern days slavery” according to the study by the global health consulting firm Matahari Global Solutions, the People’s Vaccine Alliance, and the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC).
The report disproves the numerous claims made by pharmaceutical companies and high-ranking officials of wealthy countries that people in lower-income nations are “vaccine cautious” and this was a claim made by Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla at a recent public event.
“Throughout this epidemic low rates of vaccination in low-income nations have been largely dismissed as a result of “vaccine hesitancy”.Our research finds this assertion to be untrue,” said Dr Fifa A.Rahman the Principal Consultant of Matahari Global Solutions.
There are a myriad of obstacles to getting access to vaccines and treatmentsfrom the lack of supply of treatment and vaccines to the lack of funding of health systems and inadequate adaption to local needs.
“These are questions of equity,” Rahman added.
The world’s health researchers examined access to Covid-19 tools in Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Jamaica, Liberia, Madagascar, Nepal, Nigeria, Peru, Senegal, Somalia, Somaliland, Uganda and Ukraine.
“Testing and vaccine sites have not been accessible which means that the true rates of infection and death will likely be much higher than the official figures,” the report found.
“Vaccines are delivered in a variety of ways and in inadequate quantities that have led to stock fluctuations at vaccination centers.
Doses could arrive with little or no information regarding the type of vaccine will be used or if they are suited to the conditions in the nation,” it added.
The availability of antiviral treatments was inaccessible in the majority of countries that were that were surveyed.
“This report reveals that communities have been repeatedly left behind by a system that is geared towards providing protection to individuals in rich countries.People in the world’s south have been ignored.
Their lives are neglected as if they were an afterthought” declared Maaza Seyoum the Global South Convenor of the People’s Vaccine Alliance.
The report noted that the planning and funding of oxygen supply has been insufficient and crucial community health workers are often unpaid.
“Governments and pharmaceutical companies (including manufacturers in the US) and international organizations must take action to address the actual problems that hinder people from having access to medicines and vaccines” stated Nadia Rafif ITPC’s lead for advocacy and influence.
na/dpb
