Inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines must be addressed immediately, says Bill Gates

NEW YORK -- It is a moral outrage and a public health tragedy that COVID-19 vaccines are still not distributed equitably, said US philanthropist Bill Gates, urging for immediate efforts to address the problem.

In a recent written interview exclusively with Xinhua, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said those inequities are driving the emergence of new, more dangerous variants across the world.

Providing everyone access to vaccines, he stressed, is the fastest, most effective way to overcome this crisis and end the disruptive cycle of re-opening and closing.

Gates noted some stark inequities in the pandemic's health and economic impact have been identified. For example, less than one percent of vaccine doses have been administered in low-income countries, and nearly 700 million people, the vast majority in low-and middle-income countries, are projected to remain mired in extreme poverty in 2030.

Many high-income countries have reserved more vaccines than they need to vaccinate their populations. Without jeopardizing their domestic vaccination efforts, these countries can be part of an effort to accelerate global vaccine distribution by sharing these excess doses as soon as possible, he said.

He praised the role of COVAX in accelerating the development, production, and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, and urged high-income countries to continue to commit vital funding to COVAX, a WHO-led initiative aimed at providing more equitable access to vaccines for low-and middle-income countries.

"We are inspired to see that China has committed to both: donating $100 million to help close the gap of vaccine inequity and providing the world with significant amount of COVID-19 vaccines this year, (which was) made possible by the country's robust vaccine pipeline," he said. "That's what it's going to take to end this pandemic."

He said COVID-19 vaccines have been given to billions of people and it is clear that they are working to protect people from severe disease and death, including from the Delta variant.

"This only underscores the urgent need to reach those who have not been vaccinated yet, and to do it around the world," he said, adding that it is the best way to prevent additional outbreaks, and the deaths and economic shutdowns they possibly cause.

"I remain a firm believer that progress is possible. That's what fuels my commitment to tackling these issues and my optimism that we can make a difference," he said.

Gates also stressed the importance of long-term investment in health tools and collaboration mechanisms, which have helped contain the spread of COVID-19, evidenced by the development of multiple COVID-19 vaccines in less than a year.

"While it might have seemed like these vaccines sprang up overnight, they were made possible by decades of careful investment, policies, and partnerships," he said.

Gates expressed optimism about the future of mRNA, which is remarkably easy and cheap compared with traditional vaccine manufacturing methods.

"I believe mRNA will be a game changer for vaccines over the next five years," he said, explaining that it will be possible to build factories worldwide that can make vaccines for $2 a dose with even less time.

The philanthropist revealed that in fact there are already mRNA vaccine candidates in the development pipeline that could finally tackle some of the world's deadliest diseases, from malaria to cancer.

It's important to emphasize that there are also many other technologies being used to develop vaccines. Having various vaccine platforms in development is critical and increases the chances that there will be more safe and efficacious vaccines for prioritized populations, he said.

He added China's experience in eliminating malaria demonstrates what can be achieved when a country combines long-term investment in innovation with a strong commitment to collaboration in addressing public health challenges at scale.

While many critical factors helped China bring 30 million cases a year to zero in just seven decades, one thing that clearly shines through is the continuous innovation and focus on developing and improving antimalarial drugs, tools and methods. China made much of its progress while it was still a low-income country, as it has focused on low-cost systems innovations.

"That's a valuable roadmap to follow for the low- and middle-income countries that bear the brunt of malaria today," he said.

The Gates Foundation continues to work with China to scale up innovative antimalarial products and proven models with the potential to benefit people in lower-income countries, he noted, adding it is also tapping into China's research and development capacity to fund efforts to identify new active compounds that could be used in disease vector control.