UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations has launched its first-ever campaign in Urdu — and nine other languages — to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, as Pakistan too joined the effort, underlining the need for global cooperation in defeating the pandemic.

The United Nations has launched a global initiative for providing vaccines to all those who need it under a campaign called Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access or COVAX.

“We must fully support the COVAX facility for vaccine distribution,” said Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram while urging the world to fund the shortfall, that’s preventing the campaign from reaching its goal, “as soon as possible”.

The Pakistani envoy, who is also the president of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), said it was “vital to control the pandemic for quick recovery of the virus-hit world economy”.

Gavi, a COVAX partner, has arranged for Pakistan to receive 45 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine, being manufactured in India, for inoculating 45 million people.

COVAX is co-led by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Unicef.

Although supported by 190 participating countries, COVAX still needs more than $2 billion to fully meet its goal to vaccinate those most in need by the end of the year.

The United States, which has pledged $4 billion, is the largest government donor. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is among the largest private donors, pledging more than $150 million.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who launched the multilingual campaign on Thursday evening in New York, noted that the virus had already killed more than 2.5 million people, and left millions more with debilitating long-term health effects.

“Only together can we all end this pandemic and get back to the things we love,” he added.

“Over the past year, we’ve all missed out on doing the things we love to do with others — eating, hugging, and going to school and work”, said UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, as she urged the world to work together to make the vaccines available to all.

The multilingual campaign — titled “Only Together” — was released in Urdu with a hashtag “Sub-aik-Sath”.

“Together, we will once again enjoy life. Let us ensure that every individual gets the vaccine, so that we can again live as we want to.”

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2021