The World Health Organisation has said that a UN-backed programme shipping coronavirus vaccines to many poor countries has now delivered 1 billion doses, but that milestone is only a reminder of the work that remains after hoarding and stockpiling in rich countries, AP reports.

A shipment of 1.1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Rwanda on Saturday included the billionth dose supplied via the Covax programme, the UN health agency said.

WHO has long criticised the unequal distribution of vaccines and called for manufacturers and other countries to prioritize Covax. It said that, as of Thursday, 36 of its 194 member countries had vaccinated less than 10 per cent of their population and 88 had vaccinated less than 40pc.