2022 is the year we can end the pandemic – this is how

Life is precious and no one is safe until everyone is safe, write President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa and Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre

Wealthy countries have administered more doses of the Covid vaccine and more tests Рthis inequity is a great injustice (WHO / Blink Media ̱ Fabeha Monir)

2022 is the year we can end this pandemic. To fight Covid-19, all countries need access to life-saving tools – vaccines, tests, treatments, and personal protective equipment. Left to rage anywhere, the virus is a threat everywhere. We invite the world’s leaders to join us in acting urgently because as we’ve seen time and time again throughout this pandemic: no-one is safe until everyone is.

Today we face a stark reality. Wealthy countries have administered 14 times more doses of life-saving vaccines and carried out 80 times more tests than their low-income counterparts.

As a result, lives are being lost due to high hospitalisation rates, with a lack of oxygen, medicines and personal protective equipment (PPE), as countries grapple with fresh waves of infection driven by the Omicron variant. This inequity is one of the greatest injustices of our time.