Ramaphosa urges world leaders to support COVAX facility to ensure equitable access to vaccines

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on world leaders to support the COVAX facility to ensure rapid and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Ramaphosa made the remarks at the launch of  Global Citizen’s Recovery Plan for the World – a campaign which will see series of events raise money for COVID-19 efforts, poverty as well as climate change.

He says the global recovery plan must be all inclusive.

“It will also enable us to lower prices and improve distribution so that these vaccines and medical supplies reach all corners of the world. Along these efforts to overcome the pandemic, we must work together to end hunger, promote education and the resumption of learning and to protect our planet. By doing so, we will be contributing to a fair and just and inclusive recovery.”

Below are President Ramaphosa’s remarks:

Health systems

World Health Organisation Director-General, Tedros Adhanom, says the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world in ways we could never have imagined.

 Addressing the launch, Adhanom says health systems across the work have been disrupted: