The unequal distribution of vaccines will have an impact on the global economic recovery, especially in Africa and Latin America, said the Director-General of the World Bank, Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela at a conference on the sidelines of the G7 summit this Saturday, 13 June.
“Estimates of world economic recovery show a different path between a two-stage recovery or a K-shaped recovery.” [queda rápida com uma subsequente recuperação diferenciada]The developed world and some emerging markets are doing very well in terms of recovery, and some are lagging behind the developing world and low-income countries.”
These trends are repeated at the business level, the Nigerian economist continued, with the World Bank projecting growth of 8% this year and 4% in 2022, with Asia and North America recovering rapidly and Latin America and Africa are left behind.
“We believe this vaccine disparity is partly responsible for the varying levels of recovery in global trade and the economy,” he said.
The summit is expected to coincide with commitments to donate at least one billion vaccines to disadvantaged countries, of which the US has gone ahead with 500 million and the UK 100 million by 2022.
Okonjo-Iwela welcomed the pledges but said more was needed, citing an article he cited by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the need for about $50 billion (41,300 million euros) to boost production and distribution. Like co-authored with other international organizations. of vaccines.
“If we had these resources to help implement a vaccine, we could vaccinate 40% of the world’s population this year and up to 60% next year, and we could make global improvements,” he said.
He also advocated for an end to export restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, which are also affecting complex supply chains, citing the example of Pfizer’s vaccine, which has 180 components manufactured at 86 locations in 19 different countries.
If the plan were to be implemented, the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) could achieve about nine billion dollars (7.4 billion euros) by 2025, of which 40% is for developed countries and the rest for emerging and developing markets.
The leaders of the G7 countries (Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom) and the European Union are meeting today in Corbys Bay in south-west Cornwall, England, where UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Australia , leaders of South Africa, South Korea and India, later via videoconference.
The summit today has sessions dedicated to the economy, foreign policy and health, culminating with a discussion on the environment on Sunday, a final statement and a press conference scheduled to begin Sunday afternoon.
