As a global coronavirus summit headed by Joe Biden gets underway, how stark is the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots"?
LONDON, Sept 22 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Joe Biden will convene a virtual coronavirus summit of world leaders on Wednesday under pressure to close the vaccination gap with poorer nations.
But just how big is the gap?
Here are two graphics that illustrate the extent of vaccine inequality globally and show how pharmaceutical companies have - so far at least - prioritised sales of vaccines to wealthy nations.
Amnesty International on Wednesday said in a report that of the 5.56 billion doses of the vaccine already delivered globally, only 0.3% of them have gone to low-income countries.
Among its findings, the report states that Pfizer and BioNTech have so far delivered nine times more vaccines to Sweden than to all low-income countries combined.
BioNTech told Amnesty that it was working to provide 2 billion doses to low- and middle-income countries in 2021 and 2022.
Both companies revenues have increased substantially in 2021 compared with 2020 due to sales of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is sold at a high price, the report said.
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(Reporting by Tom Finn, graphics by Amber Milne. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly)
