On July 15, the World Health Organization (WHO) and
UNICEF warned of an alarming decline in the number of
children receiving life-saving vaccines around the
world due to challenges posed by the pandemic.
During a virtual event hosted by the UK and the UN
Foundation today attended by 200 UN member state
representatives, scientists and global leaders, Lord
(Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, said countries needed to
not only come together to coronavirus, but also to
ensure immunisation schemes continue to save lives from
other infectious diseases such as measles, diphtheria,
tetanus, pertussis polio and typhoid.
The UK is already a world leader in efforts to find a
coronavirus vaccine and defeat other deadly infectious
diseases.
Oxford University this week announced that early trials
show its new vaccine produces a strong immune response
to coronavirus, in research-backed by £84 million of UK
Government investment.
We also pledged £1.65 billion ($2 billion) to Gavi, the
Vaccine Alliance, earlier this year, to support
immunising a further 300 million children against
vaccine-preventable diseases and save up to 8 million
lives by 2025.
Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Joint Minister of State
for the UN at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and
Department for International Development, said:
Diseases such as measles, polio, diphtheria and
typhoid have already caused widespread devastation
across the world for decades, but we cannot stop our
work to suppress their impact.
We must continue to drive immunisation programmes for
established vaccines while ensuring we unite to find
and fund a global solution to combat the Covid-19
pandemic.
The UK and the UN Foundation continue with partners
around the globe to support and drive a worldwide
search for an effective Coronavirus vaccine, as well as
treatments and diagnostics.
The UK has already pledged £250 million ($315 million)
to the Centre for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations’
(CEPI) international vaccine research, for example, the
largest contribution of any nation.
The UK is also prioritising the secondary impacts of
the pandemic, particularly on essential health
services, to ensure routine immunisation programmes are
maintained and restored.
The UK will continue to work with all of our
international partners, including the G7, G20, the EU,
the UN, World Health Organization and other
multilateral institutions, to deliver a strong global
health response during the global pandemic.
