Manila, 19 July 2021 (TDI): Along with the representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and The Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary (Marian Jocelyn T. Tirol-Ignacio) expressed the Philippines’ intervention during the session on “Multilateral Cooperation to Recover from the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Prepare for Future Public Health Emergencies” at the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Seminar on Upholding Multilateralism held last 13 July 2021 via videoconference.
She noted that 80% of the 3 billion vaccinations worldwide have gone to the people of high-and upper-middle-income countries. Moreover, she emphasized that “lower-income countries face challenges regarding access and administration of vaccines, and are heavily reliant on cooperation frameworks such as COVAX,” she said.
In conclusion, she urged World Health Organization (WHO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group, and World Trade Organization (WTO) to make vaccines.
