Groundhog Day was once a fun topical moment – the rodent emerging from hibernation to watch its shadow, presaging a long or short winter. Unfortunately, we are in the era of COVID-19. The wake up call we need is not from Punxsutawney Phil, but rather from our politicians in the form of a plan to emerge from the shadow of the pandemic.
Posted at 10:00 a.m.
We’re all waiting for the moment when this nightmarish version of the movie groundhog day will end. Canada can play a major role in this regard by sending a clear signal to its global partners: these dark times can end if we choose to work together.
As the world enters the third year of the pandemic, global leadership is still conspicuous by its absence. For months, experts and activists have warned us that our response to COVID-19 is flawed. The nationalization and stockpiling of vaccines by rich countries prolongs the pandemic by putting the lives of people in wealthy nations ahead of the billions of vulnerable, unvaccinated people in the developing world. An even more worrying situation due to the emergence of new variants.
Unfortunately, Canada is among the worst countries when it comes to vaccine hoarding.
We have procured more doses per person than any other country and we are stockpiling tens of millions of excess doses, depriving hundreds of millions of people of their first dose, while we are debating booster doses.
Canada is looking for a way to restore its reputation and increase its relevance internationally. The solution may lie in a simple turn: stop keeping our vaccines and share them.
Recently, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development estimated that it would cost around US$50 billion to vaccinate the entire world. By comparison, US$10 trillion has been spent on global and domestic economic support programs to fight the pandemic. Alas, no nation has taken the lead in efforts to vaccinate the entire world.
Canada could address this lack of leadership and restore its reputation on the international stage by earmarking a fraction of public spending on national stimulus and support programs towards the effort to restore equal access to testing. , treatments and vaccines worldwide. To date, Canada has dedicated less than 1% of its COVID-19 resources to ending the pandemic globally. The extrinsic fallout from this global response to the pandemic could be particularly favorable to a country like Canada, which is highly dependent on developments in the global situation, particularly with regard to its trade relations.
The benefits of such an investment are clear. It makes sense to spend today to prevent future variants and containments.
Canada can position itself as a leader by putting money on the table, but our real impact can be how we combine that funding with a call for a renewed commitment to vaccine equity, doses and the fight against the control of pharmaceutical companies on intellectual property. Enabling developing countries to produce the vaccines they need themselves also helps build capacity and reduce vaccine hesitancy.
A Canadian strategy to curb the pandemic should incorporate three steps that are complementary, but on which separate awareness actions have been articulated. In short, a middle power like Canada can promote vaccine equity by urging all countries to adhere to a simple solution: share, share, share.
Be a worthy leader
As a first step, let us share vaccines by accelerating the promised delivery of 200 million doses to vulnerable populations around the world through the COVAX mechanism by the end of 2022, and ensure that all excess doses, in accordance with contracts of Canada, are transferred quickly.
Second, let’s share our resources by dedicating an additional $1.1 billion to global vaccine equity in the 2022 budget, including for ACT Accelerator partners to purchase vaccines, tests, treatments , PPE and oxygen in developing countries.
Finally, let us share our knowledge by helping to significantly increase the means of production of vaccines and other tools to fight the pandemic on a global scale, in particular by supporting the temporary waiver of intellectual property rights related to vaccines and means related to COVID-19 (waiver regarding the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights), as proposed by the World Trade Organization. This involves the transfer of technologies for the manufacture of vaccines worldwide, including financial support for regional centers such as the technology transfer center in South Africa.
Canada has always played an internationally recognized conciliatory role. It is time for him to once again establish himself as a leader worthy of the name.