Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have demanded G20 leaders end Covid-19 pandemic ‘once and for all’ while accusing ‘wealthy’ nations failing to give poorer countries access to vaccines.
The couple has penned an open letter, co-signed by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, demanding Leaders of the ‘wealthiest nations’ at the G20 summit ended the Covid crisis by working together to vaccinate the entire world’s population.
The document was created just one day before G20 leaders summit in Rome. It is the first face to face G20 summit since Covid’s death.
Last month, Meghan, 40, and Harry, 37, announced they had partnered with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to host a ‘dialogue on the urgent need to achieve global vaccine equity’.
The WHO published the open document on its website. It called for the G20 leaders to end the Covid-19 epidemic ‘once for all’ and to do everything possible to achieve the goal of vaccinating 40% of the world’s population by year’s end.
In an open letter published by WHO, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry accused G20 leaders in failing to ensure that poorer countries have access to Covid-19 vaccinations.
It stated: “Today we join with others in urging global leaders to end the devastating inequity that has caused this pandemic once for all.”
The couple spoke of G7 leaders’ June pledge to provide one billion vaccines over the next twelve months. But they also asked where the doses were, claiming that some nations don’t have the right doses for their health workers.
They criticised G20 leaders and G7 leaders, claiming they are not delivering on their promises to provide vaccines for people all over the globe.
The letter also stated that of the estimated 7 billion doses worldwide, only 3 percent have been administered to low-income populations. Where are all the rest?
‘COVAX, the initiative designed to help achieve fair global access to COVID vaccines, has been promised 1.3 billion doses to be donated for the low-income countries it supports, yet it has been able to ship only 150 million – 11.5 percent – to date. Where are the remaining?
“Promises don’t translate into vaccines reaching those who need them.
According to the couple, some G20 countries have’surplus vaccines that they need’ “They are destined to be lost once they expire,” arguing that all should be outraged at any wasted doses.
The letter continued: “Every discarded COVID-19 vaccination, when there are the means to donate them, must be outraged by all.”
The couple attacked G20 and G7 leaders, claiming that people all over the world aren’t getting needed vaccines. Pictured: A student gets a vaccine at Oxford on September 17
‘Each dose represents a real person—a mother, father, daughter, or son—who could have been protected.
“Each of us comes from different backgrounds and experiences, but we all share one goal: to end global inequity.”
Harry and Meghan then demanded that everyone do their best to get vaccine doses to all people in the world ‘in order’.
They said that the G20 leaders had the power to accelerate long-promised donors and to break the hold that pharmaceutical companies and manufacturing countries currently have over vaccine access and how they are made.
The letter claimed that there are many obstacles to Covid vaccine distribution, including the unwillingness or inability of vaccine-producing countries and pharmaceutical companies to share their vaccines.
The document also stated that while we understand that pandemic recovery can be complex and nuanced, we have an opportunity to work together as a global community to fulfill our humanitarian promises.
The couple called on G20 leaders to help nations manufacture their own vaccines and prioritise giving doses to those most in need, saying this will help to reach the goal of vaccinating 40 percent of all countries by the end of this year.
They concluded: ‘There are many crises that you – the stewards of our planet – must grapple with this weekend: the climate emergency, the state of our global economy, a recommitment to multilateralism.
“Yet, in many aspects, making headway with these priorities depends upon whether we can beat the pandemic.”
The letter has been supported by: Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children International, Dr Seth Berkley, CEO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS; Chelsea Clinton, DPhil, MPH, Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation; Hugh Evans, Co-Founder and CEO of Global Citizen; Tom Hart, Acting CEO, The ONE Campaign; Carolyn Reynolds, Co-founder Pandemic Action Network; Anil Soni, CEO, WHO Foundation.
Last month, Harry and Meghan spoke out at the ‘Wokestock’ event in New York City about how the richest nations are hoarding vaccines from poor countries.
They have just issued their latest call to vaccine equity Meghan spoke out during ‘Wokestock’ in New York City about how the richest nations hoard vaccine doses from poorer countries.
Both Meghan and Harry spoke about getting the Covid vaccine to everyone around the world at the event at Central Park last month.
Global Citizen Live was a concert to raise awareness about a range issues including global poverty, climate change, and more. It has been called “Wokestock”.
Meghan spoke in a joint, coordinated speech with Harry. She stated that every person on the planet has a right to this vaccine. But that’s not the case.
She said that while you can get vaccinated in this country and many other countries, it is impossible for billions of people all over the world.
“This year, the world is expected enough vaccines to meet the target to vaccinate 70% of people in all countries. However, it is wrong to believe that most of the vaccine supply has gone to 10 wealthy nations and not everyone else. It’s not okay.
The couple also hosted a meeting on vaccine equity with Chelsea Clinton and other health experts at the World Health Organisation (WHO) offices in the United Nations (UN) building in New York last month.
The couple released a statement Friday on their Instagram account, Archewell, saying that they had partnered the WHO to host a dialogue on urgent need to achieve global vaccination equity’
They were joined in their efforts by some of the foremost leaders’ in public health, who added that they are ‘eager’ to do their part to end the COVID-19 epidemic.
The Sussexes were seen leaving the WHO offices at 885 Second Avenue in Manhattan carrying both WHO documents, and Archewell branding.
Last month, Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40 announced that they had partnered up with the WHO to host a “dialogue on the urgent necessity to achieve global vaccine equity.”
In a joint statement, the couple stated that “In this room, there were a number if the foremost leaders in public health and pandemic preparedness. Scientific progress, community building, and public health.”
‘Today’s meeting provided a valuable opportunity for experts to share their knowledge with those who are dedicated to ending this pandemic.
“Based on the ongoing conversations we’ve had over the past 18 month with global leaders, today further strengthened our commitment to vaccine equity.
“We’re so encouraged and inspired by the spirit of collaboration that we heard in our conversation, and are eager to do what we can.”
At the meeting, Harry and Meghan were joined by Clinton, the daughter and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and vice-chair of The Clinton Foundation.
Other attendees were: Stewart Simonson (WHO assistant director-general), Loyce Pace (Director of Global Affairs at Department of Health and Human Services), Anil Soni, WHO Foundation CEO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (WHO director-general), former president of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Winnie Byanyima (UN’s Undersecretary General).
Ghebreyesus was a WHO director-general and joined the meeting via remote. He said he was gratified to Harry and Meghan for their work on the “critical conversation” on the vaccine.
Vanity Fair reported that he said, “We’re grateful for The Duke of Sussex for working alongside us to bring together the critical conversation,”
“We are at an important crossroads in vaccinating the entire world.
“It takes collaboration, coordination, transparency and creative thinking to get through this pandemic together.