Prime Minister Asks Int'l Community To Ensure Availability Of Coronavirus Vaccine For Everyone

Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said the international community must ensure that the coronavirus vaccine was available to everyone, everywhere and as soon as possible, and if it were not done, the virus would roam around and come back

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Apr, 2021 ) :Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said the international community must ensure that the coronavirus vaccine was available to everyone, everywhere and as soon as possible, and if it were not done, the virus would roam around and come back.

While making an opening statement at the special virtual segment of the United Nations' Economic and Social Council on Financing for Development, he said the forum's deliberations this year were critical as the world battled the coronavirus and its massive socio-economic fallout.

He said Pakistan contained the first two waves of the virus through "a policy of smart lockdowns.We implemented an eight billion Dollar relief package to support the poor and vulnerable, and to keep our economy afloat at the same time.

Now, he said, "unfortunately we are facing the third wave of the virus. Insha'Allah, we hope to defeat this wave as well. We need a lot of luck, as everyone does." The prime minister stressed that the production of the vaccine must be ramped up, and the patent and technology-transfer restrictions should be waived to enable it.

"Vaccine nationalism and export restrictions are deplorable; as is the use of the vaccine to advance national foreign policy objectives."He emphasized that the forum was an important opportunity to adopt decisions on ways to mobilize the money needed by developing countries to recover from the COVID-induced recession and restore them on the path to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.