Unicef
Downloaded on November 28, 2021
Dear G20 leaders,
At the COVID-19 Summit held at the United Nations recently, world leaders set a target that every country should vaccinate 70 per cent of its population. Many rich countries are on track, yet only a fraction of Africans are fully vaccinated.
This inequity is unjust — and self-defeating. It leaves Africans — and the whole world — at the mercy of the virus. Unchecked, it can create new and more dangerous variants.
Rich nations have pledged to donate over a billion vaccines this year and hundreds of millions more in 2022. This gives us hope. But Africa cannot wait. We need doses now.
We call on you to donate doses by December, along with resources to turn vaccines into vaccinations — to train healthcare workers, equip them with personal protection, and the infrastructure to store and transport vaccines.
The stakes could not be higher. Every day Africa remains unprotected, pressure builds on fragile health systems where there can be one midwife for hundreds of mothers and babies. As the pandemic causes a spike in child malnutrition, resources are diverted from life-saving health services and childhood immunization. Children already orphaned risk losing grandparents. Disaster looms for Sub-Saharan African families, four out of five of whom rely on the informal sector for their daily bread. Poverty threatens children’s return to school, protection from violence and child marriage.
Every day we wait risks a tragic reversal of hard-won development gains.
Remember the relief you felt when you got your first dose, when you could hug your elders, see life get back on track for your children. Africa needs this too.
The path out of the pandemic is clear. But we can only get out together. Please donate doses by December.
Letter signatories:
Davido
Ramla Ali
Tendai Mtawarira
Femi Kuti
Serge Ibaka
Niu Raza
Brian “B-Flow” Bwembya
Angel McCoughtry
Fabrice Ondoa
Djaili Amadou Amal
Extra Musica
Smarty
Aminata Makou Traore
J. Romeo Togba
Leo “IPORTAY” Bright
The Most Rev. Bishop
Albert Chama
Calema
Neyma
Esther Chungu
Maps Maponyane
Winnie Byanyima
Rev. Dr. Fidon Mwombeki
Teacher Wanjiku
Edi Gathegi
Toofan
Khoudia
Grace Hawa Weah
Yeama Sarah Thompson
Tilka Paljk
Cobhams Asuquo
Lebohang Masango
Rev. Dr. Master
Obolotswe Matlhaope
Abdul Fatoma
His Eminence
John Cardinal Onaiyekan
Angelique Kidjo
Kindo Armani
Sarah Myriam Mazouz
Mirado
Bideew Bou Bess
Tony Elumelu
Sekouba Bambino
Asmaa James
Dr Jane Ruth Aceng
Sam Samourai
Astou Ndiaye-Diatta
Hamzo Bryn
Fantacee Wiz
Shadrach “Trille” Wisner
His Eminence
Sheikh Shaban Mubajje
Kate Henshaw
El Hadji Assane Gueye
Arlo Parks
Originally published at https://www.unicef.org.
