MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2021) Access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatment has been unequal across the world, with the poorest countries finding themselves at a disadvantage, BRICS countries said Thursday in a statement.
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa had their annual summit earlier in the day.
"Recognizing that the production of COVID-19 vaccines has provided the greatest hope to conquer the pandemic and that COVID-19 extensive vaccination is a global public good, we regret the glaring inequity in access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics, especially for the world's poorest and most vulnerable populations," the statement, published by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, read.
The BRICS countries expressed readiness to continue supporting other states in their fight with the pandemic through financing, donation, local production, and facilitating the export of vaccines. The bloc members have provided over a billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to international organizations and to the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility.
"We reiterate our commitment to enhance BRICS cooperation in addressing other health challenges, including through developing effective joint responses to the continuing spread of major diseases, especially tuberculosis (TB), and commend the work done by the BRICS TB Research Network in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic," the statement read.
The BRICS countries also urged other states to intensify cooperation on combating the COVID-19 and other health challenges.
