COVID-19: WHO chief urges all countries to vaccinate 10% of their populations by September

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said that global efforts to inoculate populations need to be stepped up.

World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to ensure that 10 per cent of their populations have received vaccinations against COVID-19 by September.

Ghebreyesus called for a "massive push to vaccinate at least 10 per cent of the population of every country by September" during the health body’s main annual assembly.

He also said that 115,000 healthcare workers succumbed to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

"For almost 18 months, health and care workers all over the world have stood in the breach between life and death," Ghebreyesus said during the opening of the organisation's annual assembly.

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"Many have themselves become infected, and while reporting is scant, we estimate that at least 115,000 health and care workers have paid the ultimate price in the service of others”, Ghebreyesus added.

The chief of UN too, commented on the ongoing pandemic, saying that the world is “at war” against COVID-19. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world is “at war” against coronavirus.

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Guterres said that the pandemic had caused a “tsunami of suffering” in countries around the world. During the World Health Organization’s main annual assembly with member states, Guterres said that over 3.4 million have died due to the pandemic and 500 million jobs had disappeared since the pandemic began in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019.

"The most vulnerable are suffering most, and I fear this is far from over," Guterres said. Guterres also urged for "a two-speed global response."

(With inputs from agencies)