UNITED NATIONS, United States, March 9, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - After two years
the Covid-19 pandemic is not yet over and could be prolonged further due to
"scandalously unequal" vaccine distribution, the UN secretary-general warned
Wednesday.

   "The pandemic's most tragic toll has been on the health and lives of
millions, with more than 446 million cases worldwide, more than six million
deaths confirmed, and countless more grappling with worsening mental health,"
said UN chief Antonio Guterres in a statement marking the second anniversary
of the global crisis.

   "Thanks to unprecedented public health measures, and the extraordinarily
rapid development and deployment of vaccines, many parts of the world are
bringing the pandemic under control," he said.

   "But it would be a grave mistake to think the pandemic is over."

   Guterres noted that the "distribution of vaccines remains scandalously
unequal," and that while 1.5 billion doses of vaccine are produced each
month, "nearly three billion people are still waiting for their first shot."

   "This failure is the direct result of policy and budgetary decisions that
prioritize the health of people in wealthy countries over the health of
people in poor countries," said Guterres.

   He added that the two-tiered recovery is "a recipe for more variants, more
lockdowns and more sorrow and sacrifice in every country."

   The statement concluded by calling on the whole world to "re-dedicate
ourselves to ending this pandemic... and closing this sad chapter in
humanity's history, once and for all."