G-7 leaders promise more than 1 billion doses of vaccines for the rest of the world

By Adela Suliman - NBC News

LONDON - President Joe Biden and his Group of Seven (G-) colleagues have agreed to donate 1 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines to poorer countries, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters at the end. the summit on Sunday.

The doses will consist of both direct vaccine transfers and funding from COVAX

, a global vaccine purchasing system backed by the World Health Organization and Gavi, the vaccine alliance, he said at a press conference.

But the commitment is a long way from the 11 billion doses that, according to the World Health Organization, are needed to vaccinate at least 70% of the world's population.

G7 leaders at the Carbis Bay Hotel in Carbis Bay, St. Ives, Cornwall, England, on Friday June 11, 2021. From left, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; the President of the European Council, Charles Michel; the American president, Joe Biden; the Japanese Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga; the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson; the Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi; the French President, Emmanuel Macron; the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leye; and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. AP / Patrick Semansky

Other pledges are also expected on: climate change, China, along with plans to help accelerate the financing of infrastructure projects in developing countries, a shift towards renewable and sustainable energy, and make big companies pay their share. fair tax.

Final details of the commitments are expected Sunday in a statement at the end of the summit.

Biden tried to make the fight against China an important part of the summit, but it is unclear whether the other six countries - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom - will reprimand Beijing for its crackdown on its Uighur minority and other rights abuses.