(Adds further Guterres comment)
By Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 7 (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed on Thursday for $8 billion to equitably vaccinate 40% of people in all countries by the end of the year as the World Health Organization launched a plan aiming to inoculate 70% of the world by mid-2022.
“Crucially, the success of this plan requires equitable distribution,” Guterres told reporters.
“Without a coordinated, equitable approach, a reduction of cases in any one country will not be sustained over time. For everyone’s sake, we must urgently bring all countries to a high level of vaccination coverage,” he said.
Guterres pushed the Group of 20 rich countries to deliver on their “desire to get the world vaccinated” at a summit in Rome later this month.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols)