WHO chief calls for solidarity in financing, ensuring equal access to future COVID-19 vaccine

13 August 2020

Health UN

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that six months after first sounding the international alarm over COVID-19, the UN agency is now intensely focused on shepherding global vaccine candidates through the necessary trials, and guaranteeing rapid, fair and equitable access to them for all countries.

shepherd /ˈʃepəd/  牧羊人；羊倌；带领；引；护送

equitable adj. /ˈekwɪtəbl/  公平合理的；公正的

With the ripple effects of the pandemic upending people’s lives, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that to move forward, “the best bet is to do it together”, as he briefed reporters from Geneva on the latest developments.

ripple effect ：If an event or action has a ripple effect, it causes several other events to happen one after the other. 连锁反应

upend v. /ʌpˈend/  to turn sb/sth upside down 翻倒；倒放；使颠倒

best bet：最好的办法；最好的措施

Phases two and three

Among them, the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, launched in April, has shown results, Tedros said, with nine vaccine candidates in the COVAX portfolio now advancing through Phase 2 or 3 trials.

Accelerator  /əkˈseləreɪtə(r)/  n. 油门；催化剂；[机] 加速装置

Phase 2 or 3 trials：（新冠疫苗实验的）阶段二或阶段三

The portfolio, already the broadest in the world, is expanding, he added.  Countries representing 70 per cent of the global population have registered or expressed interest in being part of the initiative.

In terms of therapeutics, he said the first proven therapy for severe COVID-19, dexamethasone, was announced in June and is now scaling up.  More than 50 tests are in evaluation and new evidence has been generated around rapid antigen detection tests that could be “game changing”. 

therapeutics  n. /ˌθerəˈpjuːtɪks/ 治疗学

dexamethasone/,deksə'meθəsəʊn; -zəʊn/ n. [药] 地塞米松；氟美松（抗炎药）

Scale up：扩大，按比例增加/扩大

Antigen  n.  /ˈæntɪdʒən/   抗原（能激发人体产生抗体）

IMF: Pandemic to cost $12 trillion over two years

Stressing that the ACT Accelerator is the only global framework for ensuring the fair and equitable allocation of COVID-19 tools, he said that to succeed, it must be properly financed.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates the pandemic is costing $375 billion a month and predicts a $12 trillion cumulative loss to the global economy over two years.  The G-20 group of leading economies alone, has mobilized more than $10 trillion in fiscal stimulus, to treat and mitigate the consequences of the pandemic – three and a half times what the world dispensed to address the global financial crisis of 2008.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF)：国际货币基金组织

cumulative loss ：累计损失   fiscal stimulus：财政刺激

mobilize v.   /ˈməʊbəlaɪz/  

1.to work together in order to achieve a particular aim; to organize a group of people to do this 组织；鼓动；动员 •The unions mobilized thousands of workers in a protest against the cuts. 各级工会组织了数千名工人抗议削减工资。

2. [ VN ] to find and start to use sth that is needed for a particular purpose 调动；调用•They were unable to mobilize the resources they needed. 他们无法调用他们需要的资源。

3. if a country mobilizes its army, or if a country or army mobilizes , it makes itself ready to fight in a war （战时）动员

dispense v. /dɪˈspens/  

1.~ sth (to sb) to give out sth to people 分配；分发

•The machine dispenses a range of drinks and snacks. 这台机器发售各种饮料和小吃。

2.~ sth (to sb) ( formal ) to provide sth, especially a service, for people 施与，提供（尤指服务）•The organization dispenses free health care to the poor. 这个机构为穷人提供免费医疗。

3.to prepare medicine and give it to people, as a job 配（药）；发（药）

•to dispense a prescription 按处方配药   •to dispense medicine 发药

DIˈSPENSE WITH SB/STH：to stop using sb/sth because you no longer need them or it 摒弃；不再需要；不再用

ACT Accelerator, a bargain

By contrast, funding the ACT Accelerator will cost a “tiny fraction” compared to the alternative, where economies retract further and require continued fiscal stimulus packages, Tedros said.

retract v. /rɪˈtrækt/  

1.( formal ) to say that sth you have said earlier is not true or correct or that you did not mean it 撤销，收回（说过的话） •He made a false confession which he later retracted. 他作了假供词，后来又翻供。

2.[ VN ] ( formal ) to refuse to keep an agreement, a promise, etc. 撤回，收回（协议、承诺等）•to retract an offer 撤销提议

3.( technical 术语 ) to move back into the main part of sth; to pull sth back into the main part of sth 缩回；拉回 •The animal retracted into its shell. 这只动物缩回到自己的壳里。

Before spending another $10 trillion on the consequences of the next wave, he said the world will need to spend at least $100 billion on new tools, especially any new vaccines that are developed.

The most immediate need is $31.3 billion for the ACT Accelerator – the only up-and-running initiative that brings together all the global research and development, manufacturing, regulatory stipulations, purchasing and procurement needed, to end the pandemic.

stipulation /ˌstɪpjuˈleɪʃn/ n. 规定；约定；条款；契约

Spread the risk, share the reward

“Picking individual winners is an expensive risky gamble,” he said.  “The ACT Accelerator enables Governments to spread the risk and share the reward.”

To be sure, development of vaccines is long, complex, risky and expensive, Tedros said, noting that the vast majority fail in the early stages.

The world needs multiple vaccine candidates to maximize the chances of finding a winner that works.

‘Vaccine nationalism’

Excess demand and competition for supply is already accelerating “vaccine nationalism” and risk of price gauging, he said:  the kind of market failure that only global solidarity, public investment and engagement can solve.

excess demand ：N a situation in which the market demand for a commodity is greater than its market supply, thus causing its market price to rise 超额需求

gauge /ɡeɪdʒ/ n. 计量器；标准尺寸；容量规格；针织物的细度 vt. 测量；估计；给……定规格

The ACT Accelerator funding gap cannot be covered by traditional development assistance alone, he said.  The best solution is blend of development assistance and financing from stimulus packages.  It is the fastest way to end the pandemic and ensure swift global recovery.

Blend vt. 混合vi. 混合；协调 n. 混合；掺合物

1.ˌblend ˈin (with sth/sb)：if sth blends in , it is similar to its surroundings or matches its surroundings （与环境）和谐，协调 •The thieves soon blended in with the crowd and got away. 窃贼很快混入人群逃跑了。

2.ˌblend sth←→ˈin：( in cooking 烹饪 ) to add another substance and mix it in with the others 调入 •Beat the butter and sugar; then blend in the egg. 把黄油和糖打好，然后调入鸡蛋。

3.ˌblend ˈinto sth：to look so similar to the background that it is difficult for you to see it separately 融合到（背景）中 •He blended into the crowd. 他消失在人群中。

 

Globally coordinated vaccine roll-out will have multiplier effect

Stimulus investments and the globally coordinated roll-out of new vaccines, tests and therapeutics, will have a major multiplier effect on global economies.  “There is hope”, he said.  “If we all deploy tools at our disposal today, and collectively invest in new ones through the Accelerator, we have a route out of this pandemic.”

Our best chance to be successful is always do it together

-- WHO chief

deploy v. /dɪˈplɔɪ/  1.( technical 术语 ) to move soldiers or weapons into a position where they are ready for military action 部署，调度（军队或武器） •2 000 troops were deployed in the area. 那个地区部署了2 000人的部队。2.( formal ) to use sth effectively 有效地利用；调动 •to deploy arguments/resources 利用论据╱资源

At  disposal 供…使用；可以自由处理  multiplier effect：数乘效应

Ebola in DRC

Dr. Tedros also addressed the latest outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Equateur province, a worrying development with 86 cases.  

Ebola /ˈiːbəʊlə/ 埃博拉病毒

Democratic Republic of the Congo：DRC（刚果民主共和国）

Équateur：[ekwatœ:r] 赤道，赤道线；赤道区

While the geographic spread of the outbreak is vast, with many areas only accessible by helicopter or boat, he said 100 WHO staff are working with the health ministry, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and other partners, to stamp out infection. 

stamp out ：If you stamp something out, you put an end to it. 杜绝

In addition, he said WHO had released $2.5 million from its for emergencies and its regional emergency response fund to support immediate needs.  

To end the outbreak, WHO needs additional funding and the agency is working with surrounding provinces and neighbouring countries to enhance preparedness, he said.

“This is not just a matter for a country’s health security,” Tedros assured.  “It is a matter of global health security.”  Whether it is COVID-19, Ebola or other high impact epidemics, the world must be prepared and respond quickly.  “Our best chance to be successful is always do it together.”

原文链接：https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/08/1070162