World Health Organisation (WHO), Monday, warned that as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), that causes the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

W’Bank, others fear unequal access to the vaccine may prolong pandemic

World Health Organisation (WHO), yesterday, warned that as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), that causes the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to evolve, the risk of future emergence of variants is high.

The WHO, in a joint statement with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on “the prioritisation of monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infection in wildlife and preventing the formation of animal reservoirs,” said humans were not infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus by eating meat, and “wildlife does not play a significant role in a spread in humans.”

FAO, OIE and WHO, however, called on countries to take steps to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission between humans and wildlife, with the aim of reducing the risk of variant emergence and protecting both humans and wildlife.

They noted: “Although COVID-19 is driven by human-to-human transmission, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is also known to infect animal species.”

Current knowledge indicates that wildlife does not play a significant role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in humans, but spread in animal populations can affect the health of these populations and may facilitate the emergence of new virus variants.

“In addition to domestic animals, free-ranging, captive or farmed wild animals such as big cats, minks, ferrets, North American white-tailed deer and great apes have thus far been observed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2. To date, farmed mink and pet hamsters have been shown to be capable of infecting humans with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and a potential case of transmission between white-tailed deer and a human is currently under review.”

The United Nations agencies said the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 to wildlife could result in the establishment of animal reservoirs.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Group, World Trade Organisation (WTO) and WHO have expressed fears that unequal access to vaccination may prolong the lifespan of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the 8th meeting of the multilateral leaders’ taskforce on COVID-19 held with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance), the Global Lead Coordinator for the COVID-19 Vaccine Country Readiness and Delivery and the CEOs of leading vaccine manufacturers, the Bretton Wood institutions noted that in the past few months, it had seen unprecedented levels of disease transmission across the world due to the Omicron variant.

“Still, unequal access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments are rampant, prolonging the pandemic. Twenty-three countries are yet to fully vaccinate 10 per cent of their populations, 73 countries are yet to achieve 40 per cent coverage and many more are projected to miss the 70 per cent target by the middle of this year,” they lamented.

The group said the biggest challenges are in Low-Income Countries (LICs), which are concentrated in Africa, adding: “Only seven per cent of people in LICs have been fully vaccinated, compared with 73 per cent in high-income countries. Safeguarding the health of people living in the world’s poorest countries in the face of a changing pandemic is a key priority. We must and can ensure that these countries have the access, means and capacity to vaccinate their populations, especially those who are most at risk.” (The Guardian)

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