President Yoon Suk Yeol is giving an opening speech at the 2022 World Bio Summit, which opened at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul Vista Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul on the 25th. Reporter Seo Jae-hoon
Leaders in the vaccine and bio sectors around the world said that inequality between countries should be eliminated to prepare for the global pandemic (pandemic) that will come after COVID-19.
Jerome Kim, secretary-general of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), said in a keynote speech at the 2022 World Bio Summit, which opened at the Walkerhill Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul on the 25th, "To prepare for future pandemics, unfairness must be alleviated in five areas: diagnosis, research and development (R&D) funding, vaccine manufacturing, vaccine supply, and vaccination."
The World Bio Summit is a global event to share each country's three-year experience in responding to COVID-19 and discuss international cooperation measures to respond to future infectious disease pandemics. It was held in Korea for the first time this year under the theme of "The Future of Vaccine and BioHealth." Co-hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the World Health Organization (WHO), leaders in the field of vaccines and bio from various countries, companies, and international organizations gathered in Korea.
Secretary-General Kim cited achieving "vaccine innovation" as an achievement, although the world faced a crisis due to COVID-19. Thanks to active funding efforts, 172 vaccines were developed in the clinical stage, and new vaccines such as messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines appeared.
However, he pointed out that the failure to resolve vaccination inequality between countries is a limitation. This is because 85% of vaccines are used in upper and middle-income countries, and 70% to 80% of the people in low-income countries did not get vaccines. Due to these unfair problems, deaths have continued, and new mutations have emerged one after another, prolonging the infectious disease crisis. Secretary-General Kim said, "Vaccine itself is not saving lives, but vaccinations do," and stressed, "The international vaccine joint purchase project COVAX and manufacturing dispersion can be measures to alleviate the problem of unfairness."
In an online congratulatory address, WHO Director-General also said, "We need to improve the concentration of vaccine and other medical means in very few countries to expand local production and reduce health inequality between countries and countries." Nigerian President, who attended the event, said in a congratulatory speech that he expected Korea to play an active role in responding to infectious diseases, saying that international cooperation should be developed.
Since then, major companies around the world, which have been striving to develop vaccines, treatments, and raw materials since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, discussed "future strategies for post-pandemic." Representatives of nine companies, including Pfizer and Moderna, SK Bioscience, and BioBag, sought ways to cooperate, predicting the future vaccine and bio market.
Writer: Youngjun Kim
