Poor nations yearn for COVID-19 vaccines as rich nations take away lion's share
September 8, 2021, 10:38 am

Poor nations yearn for COVID-19 vaccines as rich nations take away lion's share

coronavirus vaccine

The Xinhua reported according to a Bloomberg report carried by an Indian English daily Business Standard on Tuesday, rich nations are taking away a lion's share of the COVID-19 vaccines even as the poorer and third-world nations are yearning for them.

According to the report, the poorest nations are still waiting for anything beyond a trickle of the life-saving doses, "because many lack the financial clout to secure contracts for COVID-19 vaccines on their own, they depend for supplies largely on COVAX, an initiative backed by groups including the World Health Organization that was designed to provide fair access to the shots for every country. And COVAX has fallen short of its goals."

Citing United Nations figures, the report said that while 57 percent of people in high-income countries had received at least one dose of vaccine by Aug. 30, the figure in low-income countries was just 2 percent.

Health advocates worry that the imbalance will be aggravated by plans in wealthy countries to provide booster shots to fully inoculated people to combat the super-contagious delta variant of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report said, the uneven distribution has prompted proposals to expand production of COVID-19 vaccine shots, reallocate rich countries' excess doses, and ensure vaccines are deployed more equitably in future pandemics.

The report added: "As inoculations were being developed, a number of affluent countries signed advance contracts with a variety of companies, securing the lion's share of initial doses. The U.S., as part of its multibillion-dollar programme hastening the development of vaccines, also used wartime powers to require manufacturers to fill massive U.S. government orders first."

Source: xinhua

Abu Dhabi wealth fund to focus on technology and climate change for its post-COVID-19 strategy Migrants continue to arrive to UK through the English Channel ahead of France talks

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”