Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri took part on Thursday in the First Meeting of the International Forum on Covid-19 Vaccine Co-operation, chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Themed “strengthening international co-operation on vaccines, promoting fair and equitable distribution of vaccines around the world”, the conference probed the gap in vaccination rates between developing and developed countries.
In a speech he delivered via video link at the forum, FM Shoukri indicated that the gap is still widening and that the epidemic is not only a health crisis, but it also has profound socio-economic repercussions, especially on low- and middle-income countries.
Thus, he said, the current situation threatens to undermine the development gains made by these countries over the past decade, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said.
Theforeign minister also stressed the importance of securing sufficient and sustainable financial support for the COVAX facility to accelerate the vaccination process in developing countries and supporting the local manufacturing capabilities, in a way that could contribute to alleviating pressure on international manufacturers and meet the increasing global demand.
Shoukri expressed Egypt’s appreciation for the support provided by China in this regard, Spokesman Hafez said.
Minister Shoukri referred to the need to mobilise more resources to support national health systems in Africa, as it is still one of the most affected regions in view of the structural challenges it faces in providing medical services to citizens and in dealing with other diseases and epidemics. He called on vaccine-manufacturing countries to bolster its support for the African Union’s Covid-19 Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT).
He also stressed the need for countries to refrain from applying discriminatory measures against international travel based on unverified assumptions about the effectiveness of some vaccines, especially those approved by the World Health Organisation.
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