TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st July, 2021) The global community should come together to vaccinate 70% of the population by mid-2022, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.
"We can choose to end the pandemic. Our common goal must be to vaccinate 70% of the population of every country by the middle of next year," Tedros told the 138th session of the International Olympic Committee in Tokyo.
To achieve this goal, 11 billion COVID-19 shots are needed, the WHO chief noted. For this reason, humanity must step up vaccine production through, for example, lifting patents or sharing know-how and technology.
"More than 4 million people have died, and more continue to die. Already this year, the number of deaths is more than double last year's total. In the time it takes me to make these remarks, more than 100 people will lose their lives to COVID-19. And by the time the Olympic flame is extinguished on the 8th of August, more than 100,000 more people will perish," the official warned, urging people to vaccinate.
Since the onset of the pandemic, over 191 million people have been infected with COVID-19, and more than 4 million have died.
