Large Covid-19 outbreaks still spreading in Asia: UN chief.

With new coronavirus variants emerging every four months on average, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the pandemic is far from over as large outbreaks are spreading in Asia. "Governments and pharmaceutical companies need to work better together to deliver vaccines to every person, everywhere - not just in wealthy countries," he said in a video message to the GAVI COVAX international vaccine equity initiative's 'Advance Market Commitment Summit 2022', which saw world leaders commit $4.8 billion to help lower-income nations boost vaccination rates, and secure better access for new vaccine procurements.

The GAVI Vaccine Alliance hosted the summit alongside G7 president, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia (which holds the presidency of the G20 industrialized nations forum), and African Union chair, Senegal.

Guterres said in order to reach the billions who have so far not received vaccine shots, countries needed to fulfil and accelerate dose-sharing and donation commitments to COVAX, with better quality of supply. 'And it means having strong national vaccine-delivery systems at the ready - including efforts to counter disinformation and get vaccines into arms. I also call on countries to commit new funding for the ACT-Accelerator and COVAX this year.'

He said the summit was 'a critical reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. We're seeing 1.5 million new cases each day. Large outbreaks are spreading in Asia', he said, adding that a new wave was sweeping across Europe.

He said the spread of Omicron - now surging in the form of the BA2 variant in many parts of the world - was 'a startling reminder of how quickly COVID-19 can...