G20 countries pass the “Pact on the Worldwide Vaccination”

“The Rome Charter was unanimously adopted by all G20 countries,” Esperanza said at a press conference as host of the meeting. In order to strengthen health systems, investment in health systems is required. “People have the right to be treated regardless of their class or race,” Speranza said. In order to bring Covid-19 vaccines to the world’s poorest countries, basic requirements must be established so that vaccines can also be produced in other parts of the world.

“During these weeks, we have jointly decided that the extent of inequality between countries is too high and intolerable,” Speranza said. “If we leave a part of the world without vaccines, we will have new variables. So no one should be left behind, and the message of the Rome Charter is that the most powerful countries of the G-20 must take responsibility, and the weakest countries in the vaccination campaign help immediately,” the Italian Health Minister said. .

Speranza advocated a “One Health” approach. Accordingly, humans, animals and the environment must be viewed as a single ecosystem in order to respond to health emergencies today and tomorrow. The goal is to jointly monitor and protect against diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans, according to Speranza

The EU Commissioner in charge of health, Stella Kyriakides, had previously called for “vaccination solidarity”, a “geopolitical necessity”. Since December 2020, the European Union has exported 700 million doses of the vaccine to 130 countries, the EU commissioner said. “Despite these efforts, some countries have yet to receive a vaccine,” Kyriakides said. “The international community needs to respond and focus on the most vulnerable health systems.”

“Solutions must be practical,” Kyriakidis stressed, and referred to the demand to suspend patent protection. “The best way to avoid leaving anyone behind is to share vaccines and provide the investment needed to expand global production,” the commissioner said.

In their final declaration, the countries committed to working towards global access to safe and affordable vaccines and treatments against Covid-19. By the end of 2021, 40 percent of the world’s population should be vaccinated according to the World Health Organization. “We will work together to fight the coronavirus and we have an essential tool, which is vaccines,” Speranza said.

Italy currently holds the G-20 presidency. It was one of the last ministerial meetings before the Summit of Heads of State or Government at the end of October.