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Secretary-General's message on the 2,000,000th death from the COVID-19 pandemic

18 January 2021

Caption: Secretary General, Antonio Guterres

Our world has reached a heart-wrenching milestone: the COVID-19 pandemic has now claimed two million lives.

Behind this staggering number are names and faces: the smile now only a memory, the seat forever empty at the dinner table, the room that echoes with the silence of a loved one.

Sadly, the deadly impact of the pandemic has been made worse by the absence of a global coordinated effort.

In the memory of those two million souls, the world must act with far greater solidarity.

Now is the time.

Safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out — and the UN is supporting countries to mobilize the largest global immunization effort in history.

We are committed to making sure that vaccines are seen as global public goods — people’s vaccines.

That requires full funding for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator and its COVAX facility – which is dedicated to making vaccines available and affordable to all.

The world’s leading economies have a special responsibility.

Yet today we are seeing a vaccine vacuum.

Vaccines are reaching high income countries quickly, while the world’s poorest have none at all.

Science is succeeding — but solidarity is failing.

Some countries are pursuing side deals, even procuring beyond need.

Governments have a responsibility to protect their populations, but “vaccinationalism” is self-defeating and will delay a global recovery.

COVID-19 cannot be beaten one country at a time.

We need manufacturers to step up their commitment to work with the COVAX facility and countries around the world to ensure enough supply and fair distribution.

We need countries to commit now to sharing excess doses of vaccines.

This would help vaccinate all health care workers around the world on an urgent basis and protect health systems from collapse.

Others on the frontline, including humanitarian workers and high-risk populations, must be prioritized.

To gain public trust, we must boost vaccine confidence and knowledge with effective communication grounded in facts.

As the science continues to blaze new trails of hope, let’s also remember the simple and proven steps we can all take to keep each other safe: wearing masks, physically distancing and avoiding crowds.