World cannot defeat the COVID-19 pandemic in uncoordinated way: UN chief

New York: Arguing that the world "cannot defeat a pandemic in an uncoordinated way", UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that countries "must take concrete action in the coming days" to vaccinate 40 per cent of the world's population by the end of the year.

Speaking to journalists in New York, Antonio Guterres also asked Member States to be "far more ambitious" in their efforts to reach 70 per cent of people in all countries by the middle of 2022, a goal established by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Just days from the deadline, 98 countries have not been able to meet that end-of-year target, and 40 nations have not yet even been able to vaccinate 10 per cent of their population. In lower-income countries, less than 4 per cent of the population is immunized.

"Vaccine inequity is giving variants a free pass to run wild - ravaging the health of people and economies in every corner of the globe", Guterres said.

According to WHO, the vaccination rates in high-income countries are 8 times higher than in the countries of Africa. At current rates, the continent will not meet the 70 per cent threshold until August 2024.

"Vaccine inequity is giving variants a free pass to run wild - ravaging the health of people and economies in every corner of the globe", Guterres said.

According to WHO, the vaccination rates in high-income countries are 8 times higher than in the countries of Africa. At current rates, the continent will not meet the 70 per cent threshold until August 2024.