Faith leaders remind wealthy nations of their “moral duty” to end vaccine nationalism
The General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Dr. Martin Junge, has joined nearly one hundred and fifty faith leaders from around the world in calling on the world’s wealthiest countries to ensure fairer access to vaccines against COVID-19. In their words, limited access “undermines the dignity not only of those who have no access, but also of those who have abandoned them”.
The urgent appeal is expressed in a letter to the leaders of the G7 countries, who are due to meet in the United Kingdom in June, urging them to “reject vaccine nationalism and commit to global vaccine equity”. The letter notes that the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis “has reminded us all of our interdependence and our responsibilities to care for one another”.
The religious leaders insist that “if one part of the world has to suffer the pandemic, all parts of the world will be exposed to ever greater risk”. Access to COVID-19 vaccines “cannot depend on people’s wealth, status or nationality.” The letter continues: “We cannot abandon our responsibilities towards our sisters and brothers by imagining that the market can be left to its own devices to resolve the crisis, or pretend to ourselves that we have no obligations towards others in our common humanity. Every human being is precious. We have a moral duty to reach everyone, in all countries.”
“We have a moral duty to reach everyone, in all countries.”
The appeal of Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and other faith leaders comes at a time when the number of COVID-19 cases in India continues to rise. The official death toll from the second wave of the pandemic has already exceeded 200,000, and the country’s healthcare system has been brought to the brink of collapse. Although India is one of the vaccine-producing countries, fewer than 10 percent of its population have received a first dose.
The letter to the leaders of the G7 countries notes that at the current pace of vaccine production and distribution, “people in much of the world may not receive a vaccine until at least 2024”. Moreover, the consequences for the poorest people, families and communities “will be devastating”. The only way to successfully end the pandemic is to ensure that vaccines are available to all people as a “global common good”.
The letter follows from the many individual efforts of religious leaders calling for a fairer distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The latest initiative is led by the People‘s Vaccine Alliance, a growing network of health and humanitarian organizations supported by politicians, economists and faith leaders. The group calls for an end to monopolies on vaccine research and development, as well as for free and fair distribution to all parts of the world. It insists that the distribution between countries and within them must be based on need, not on the ability to pay.
GENEVA, Switzerland
28.04.2021.
Source: Lutheran World Federation news
LWF/P. Hitchen