\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot say we are learning to live with COVID-19 when one million people have died with COVID-19 this year alone, when we are two-and-a-half years into the pandemic and have all the tools necessary to prevent these deaths<\/strong>,\u201d said Tedros, speaking during his regular briefing from Geneva.\u00a0<\/p>\n He again urged all governments to step up action to vaccinate all health workers, older persons, and others at highest risk<\/strong>, as part of efforts towards inoculating 70 per cent of the global population.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tedros said he was pleased to see that some countries with the lowest vaccination rates are now gaining ground, especially in Africa.\u00a0<\/p>\n In January, WHO and partners launched the COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership, focused mainly on the 34 countries that were at or below 10 per cent coverage. \u00a0All but six are on the continent.\u00a0<\/p>\n Today, only 10 countries still have less than 10 per cent coverage, most of which are facing humanitarian emergencies.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n Although welcoming progress on coverage of high-priority groups, Tedros stressed that more must be done as one-third of the world\u2019s population remains unvaccinated<\/strong>. \u00a0<\/p>\n This includes two-thirds of health workers, and three-quarters of older persons in low-income countries.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAll countries at all income levels must do more to vaccinate those most at risk, to ensure access to life-saving therapeutics, to continue testing and sequencing, and to set tailored, proportionate policies to limit transmission and save lives. This is the best way to drive a truly sustainable recovery,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\nProgress for priority groups\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Vaccinations still lagging\u00a0<\/h2>\n