Uzoma.

Last week, I and amazing Youth Ambassadors from @one headed down to the House of Commons in the UK Parliament for ONE’s #EndThePandemic action days! Over two days, we shared our message to prioritise vaccine equity with MPs, health heroes and many others.

Currently, only 12% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, with nine times more people having received boosters in wealthier countries than first doses in low-income countries. Also, just four countries in mainland Africa reached the WHO target to vaccinate 40% of its population by the end of 2021. We lobbied MPs, urging them to write to the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary, asking them to do more to tackle unequal access to vaccines in low-income countries, because where people live should not determine whether they live. Vaccine equity is more important than ever to ensure a global response to the pandemic, which in itself is a global health crisis.

It is important that we support low-income countries so that they have both the supply of vaccines and the tools to ensure they are administered effectively and efficiently. As discussed with my MP, Preet Kaur Gill, who also sits as shadow Secretary of State for international development, the costs of taking action to address the global vaccine divide is a tiny fraction of the continuous cost of the pandemic in the UK, as it impacts health and wellbeing, education, business and our economy. This demonstrates that vaccine equity is indeed in the UK’s best interest.

It was an honour advocating to ensure that vaccine equity is at the forefront of the agenda. I urge everyone to do what they can to advocate for vaccine equity because a lack of equitable access to vaccines anywhere is a threat to the eradication of the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects everywhere.

#VaccineEquity #EndThePandemic #VaccinateTheWorld #ONEActivists #HouseofCommons #internationaldevelopment

📸: @annaggordon ✨