COVID-19: Global Citizen $22bn donation to boost vaccination

International advocacy organisation, Global Citizen, known for its advocacy work and campaigns in support of pressing social issues, has launched its latest appeal calling on world leaders to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines around the globe.

The focus is particularly on supporting the world’s poorest countries, many of which are lagging behind the more affluent Western countries, in their COVID-19 vaccine rollouts.

The organisation in a statement, said that VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World—a broadcast and streaming special—will take place on Saturday, May 8, 2021, to canvass support and donations for the millions of frontline workers who still need to be vaccinated.

With support from the World Health Organisation (WHO), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Prime Minister of Italy and G20 Chair Mario Draghi, and Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez, and the State of California, the special broadcast, hosted by multiplatinum recording artist, actress and producer Selena Gomez, will include a night of musical performances by Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, J Balvin and H.E.R.

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“As a global community, we are in a race against time and the key to coming back together is the vaccine. We need to build vaccine confidence in the United States and globally, and encourage people to take the vaccine as quickly as possible,” said Hugh Evans, Global Citizen co-founder & CEO.

“There is a light at the end of this tunnel, but getting vaccines to everyone, everywhere regardless of who they are or where they are from, is key to ensuring the end of this pandemic around the world. We must all unite to get back on track to eradicating extreme poverty,” he added

The statement quoted the United Nations deputy secretary-general, Amina Mohammed, as saying, “We will not see an end to the devastating effects of the COVID- 19 pandemic and the shutdown to our economies without access to the people’s vaccine. To get this done, it is imperative that more resources are made available, that surpluses from wealthier nations are shared immediately with frontline workers in lower-income countries and that the production of vaccines is accelerated.”