Amnesty demands 2 billion Covid doses for poorer nations
September 22, 2021, 5:45 am

Amnesty demands 2 billion Covid doses for poorer nations

COVID-19

The Today Online reported according to AFP, Amnesty International said on Wednesday, as it demanded two billion doses for poorer nations by the end of the year that Covid vaccine manufacturers are putting profit before lives.

The human rights group said in a new report that US President Joe Biden was expected to outline a pledge at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to fully vaccinate 70 per cent of the world's population by next September.

Amnesty chief Agnes Callamard said: "We need leaders like President Biden to put billions of doses on the table and deliver the goods, otherwise this is just another empty gesture and lives will continue to be lost."

The group said AstraZeneca, BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Novavax and Pfizer had all refused to share doses or technology to enable more of the world to get Covid jabs.

According to Amnesty, most people in the rich world have been inoculated, but parts of Latin America, Africa and Asia have plunged into renewed crises with "tens of thousands of preventable deaths every week."

It said that out of 5.76 billion doses administered worldwide, only 0.3 per cent have gone to low-income countries with over 79 per cent heading to upper-middle and high-income countries.

In letters sent to Amnesty, all the companies pledged their support for human rights, but the report said their actions violated that commitment.

It noted, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson were selling their doses at cost price.

But all of the six companies had fought a bid by India and South Africa to waive vaccine-related intellectual property rights at the World Trade Organisation, despite receiving hefty government support themselves.

Amnesty launched a new campaign which it said was backed by the World Health Organisation and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights "to hold states and big pharma to account".

With 100 days to go till the end of the year, it said the WHO's target of vaccinating 40 percent of the population of low and lower-middle income countries was at risk.

It demanded richer countries redistribute "the hundreds of millions of excess doses currently sitting idle" and for vaccine developers to ensure that at least half of doses produced go to poorer countries.

Ms Callamard said: "We're calling on states and pharmaceutical companies to drastically change course and to do everything needed to deliver two billion vaccines to low and lower-middle income countries starting now."

"Profits should never come before lives," she said. "No one should spend another year suffering and living in fear."

Source: todayonline

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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.”