On the menu of the G7 videoconference summit (United States, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan) this Friday, February 19, in which American President Joe Biden participated for the first time, a health emergency: how to ensure access to the Covid-19 vaccine for the poorest populations?
Faced with a pandemic that has already claimed more than 2.4 million lives worldwide, this is both an imperative of solidarity and pragmatism.
Indeed, if only rich countries, which have ordered huge quantities of vaccines, achieve broad vaccination coverage at home, the virus could continue to circulate for a long time due to trade linked to globalization.
However, the less favored countries lack both the means to produce vaccines and the necessary clout in the face of multinational pharmaceutical companies.
A striking example of this imbalance: when South Africa bought AstraZeneca vaccines, it had to pay for them twice as much as the Europeans, strong in their massive orders!
From the outset, the leaders of the G7 announced a doubling of their support for the global anti-Covid vaccination, bringing their effort to 7.5 billion dollars (about 6.2 billion euros).
The Elysée advocates the immediate dispatch of 13 million free doses
On the eve of the G7, Emmanuel Macron had already put forward an ambitious proposal in an interview with the Financial Times: “Let's transfer 3% or 5%, today, of the vaccines that we have in stock to Africa.
This has no impact on the pace of the vaccine strategy, "said the Head of State, responding in advance to possible reluctance in the public, in view of the delays in vaccination in France.
The donation of free doses, or their delivery at low cost according to the means of the States concerned (92 most disadvantaged countries are thus targeted), this is therefore a first avenue, appreciated by NGOs ... who stress that the rich countries will eventually have, in all, hundreds of millions of doses in excess of the needs of their populations!
The Elysée insists on the priority of vaccinating some 6.5 million healthcare workers in Africa and proposes that 13 million free doses be sent "immediately" by Europe and the United States, "because the strengthening and resilience of health systems in fragile countries are really the key ”.
Especially since "there may be the resurgence of other epidemics", such as Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Guinea.
It remains to be seen when the vaccines will actually reach their recipients, which will also require adaptations of health chains in countries that are often under-equipped.
Already, Emmanuel Macron, who wants to see the vaccine set up as a "global public good", promised that France would engage in the process without necessarily waiting for all the partners, European and others, to be "on board. ".
Calls to lift industrial property rights for vaccines
Concretely, what will the 7.5 billion dollars announced to the virtual G7 be used for?
They will finance the Covax system, co-led by the UN and WHO (World Health Organization) and aimed at ensuring “fair and equitable access” to vaccines.
The United States alone, marking through the voice of Joe Biden their "return" to multilateralism despised by Donald Trump, have committed to allocate 4 billion dollars to this mechanism.
Germany has released 1.5 billion, while the European Union has also announced for its part a doubling of its contribution to one billion.
As for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who holds the rotating presidency of the G7, he has promised to send the surplus doses from the United Kingdom.
In their final communiqué, the leaders of the rich countries assured that they wanted to "make 2021 a turning point for multilateralism and to shape a recovery that promotes the health and prosperity of our peoples and our planet".
Will all these promises be enough?
Not so sure, to hear from NGOs and poor or intermediary countries who insist on the need for the lifting of intellectual property rights on vaccines.
This would indeed allow a number of countries, such as India, South Africa and a few others, to produce serums themselves, which would be more effective than sprinkling doses from rich countries.
Morning essentials newsletter
A tour of the news to start the day
Subscribe to the newsletterAll newsletters
Finally, there are geopolitical battles, notably with the West on one side, China and Russia on the other.
These two powers, producers of their own vaccines, are suspected of carrying out "vaccine diplomacy" - as there was "mask diplomacy".
“By participating in the dose donation mechanism, they would demonstrate their adherence to multilateralism,” said one at the Elysee Palace.
