Dear WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
We, from the global South, know that justice cannot deny the structural racism that determines inequalities around the world. However, the language you are pushing at the WTO imposes more barriers to vaccine equity.
And, as it has been widely reported, serious racial disparities in access to tests, vaccines & treatments are taking place across the world.
For example:
As rich nations roll out 2nd boosters, ONLY 2 countries in Africa have a vaccination coverage above 50%.
In the US, black people had a 14% point difference in vaccination rates compared to whites (April 2021). During that same period in Brazil, vaccinated white people led black people 2 to 1, in a country where more than 50% of the population is black.
So your attitude will have especially detrimental effects to black and African people especially.
Africa & the Global South expect more from you ✊ The document being considered at the WTO General Meeting today must be rejected.
#Fem4PeoplesVaccine
