WHO chief calls for fairer vaccine distribution

The head of the World Health Organization has said that the global failure to share vaccines equally is taking its toll on some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people.

During a media conference on Friday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said every region has countries that are experiencing a sharp rise in cases and deaths.

"Many countries in Latin America have rapidly-increasing epidemics, and others have plateaued at a high level," he said.

In Africa, cases have increased by 52 percent in the past week, Tedros noted, and deaths have gone up by 32 percent.

He predicts the situation will "only get worse", with less than 1 percent of Africa's population having so far been vaccinated.

"Vaccines donated next year will be far too late for those who are dying today, or being infected today, or at risk today," Tedros said. "Our global targets are to vaccinate at least 10 percent of the population of every country by September, at least 40 percent by the end of the year, and 70 percent by the middle of next year."

The WHO chief called these steps "critical milestones" on the way towards ending the pandemic.

"More than half of all high- and upper-middle income countries and economies have now administered enough doses to fully vaccinate at least 20 percent of their populations. Just 3 out of 79 low- and lower-middle income countries have reached the same level," he said.

Tedros thanked countries including the United States for their commitment to share doses in June and July, as well as the vaccine donations announced by the G7.

He urged other countries to follow suit.

"We need vaccines to be donated now to save lives," he said. "WHO will continue to support countries to apply public health and social measures to keep people safe, and we continue to support countries to ready their systems and plans to roll out vaccines once they get them."

Tedros also called on countries and companies to play their part in producing more vaccines and sharing more, in order to achieve the WHO's global targets.