WHO Secretary-General: "Over 4 Million Deaths from COVID-19, a Tragic Milestone"

Photo by AFP

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] "The death toll exceeding 4 million is a tragic milestone."

On the 7th (local time), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), commented on the global COVID-19 death toll surpassing 4 million.

Director-General Ghebreyesus stated during a virtual press briefing that the actual number of deaths is likely higher.

He expressed concern that many countries are experiencing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations due to variant viruses and vaccine inequality, with waves of death particularly occurring in parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

He added, "It is even disgraceful that millions of healthcare workers remain unvaccinated at this stage of the pandemic."

On the other hand, he pointed out that some countries with high COVID-19 vaccination rates are relaxing their guard as if the pandemic is already over and are even planning booster shots, stating that vaccine nationalism is morally indefensible.

He further noted that the spread of variants is outpacing vaccine distribution, threatening the global economy's recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, and said, "From moral, epidemiological, and economic perspectives, now is the time for the world to come together and collectively confront the pandemic."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.