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At the international seminar on promoting the right to immunization |
Vietnam, Brazil and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) jointly organized the seminar with the participation of representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the U.N., the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international organizations in Geneva, highlighted Vietnam's policies and achievements in ensuring the right to vaccination, making an important contribution to promoting people's health and socio-economic development.
In addition to the efforts of the government and people, Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai affirmed the importance of support and cooperation of the international community to help Vietnam gain achievements in expanded immunization, especially the assistance of WHO, GAVI, COVAX - the equitable vaccine distribution program initiated by WHO for poor countries - and other international partners.
Notably, Vietnam has achieved a COVID-19 vaccination rate of nearly 100%, one of the highest in the world, contributing to effectively controlling the pandemic, protecting people’s lives and maintaining economic growth during the pandemic and boosting post-pandemic recovery, Mai shared.
Representatives from Brazil, GAVI and WHO also stressed the importance of vaccination, and vaccines in reducing health inequalities, improving educational outcomes and the enjoyment of other human rights.
In a general debate on human rights at the UNHRC’s 54th session, the Vietnamese diplomat delivered a joint statement on immunization, which was co-sponsored by nearly 60 countries from all continents.
The statement emphasized that immunization is a crucial part of the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, and highlighted the importance of vaccines, vaccine multilateralism and multilateral efforts, the role of the UNHRC to strengthening international solidarity and cooperation to ensure ensure equitable, affordable, timely, and universal vaccine development, manufacturing, procurement, distribution, and vaccination for both routine programs and health emergencies.
The statement also called on countries and stakeholders to enhance solidarity and collaboration to promote the implementation of the WHO Immunization Agenda 2030, ensuring that everyone, everywhere, at every age fully benefits from vaccines to enjoy the right to the highest attainable standard of health, with priority given to demographic groups most vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.
Source: VNA