It is a grave unprofessional judgment by our leaders to think that by not taking care of the “rest” of the world and vaccinate only “our people” would do the trick. Under these circumstances, the developing countries will be laboratories for the mutations of the virus and these new and more dangerous virus versions will inevitably travel to the rich part of the world

By Raymond Saner, Ph.D.

Professor Titular University of Basle, Switzerland 

Director, Centre for Socio-Eco-Nomic Development, Geneva, Switzerland

Accredited by ECOSOC since June 2014 Special Consultative Status to the United Nations

www.diplomacydialogue.org

raymond.saner@unibas.ch

 SARS-Cov-2 Omicron Variant

Holding Our Leaders Accountable

OPEN LETTER

 

Watching the emergence of  this new  dangerous SARS-Cov-2 variant called Omicron, I am dismayed at the inability of the developed countries to come to terms with the fact that not to help vaccinate our brothers and sisters in DCs and LDCs is a despicable lack of empathy and care by our leaders and also a grave unprofessional judgement to think that by not taking care of the “rest” of the world and vaccinate only “our people” would do the trick. Instead, by not extending cooperation to the DCs and LDCs, the developing countries will be laboratories for the mutations of the virus and these new and more dangerous virus versions will inevitably travel to the rich part of the world.

As such, let me recall my short piece in PEAH in March of this year, including where ending with the following para:

QUESTION 

In view of the points listed above, why is not possible to call the ongoing pandemic an international security situation and to impose compulsory licensing and forced production through requisition of existing laboratories to produce as fast as possible the quantity of vaccines that are needed to avoid a situation where the pandemic continues, the new variants possibly render current vaccines less effective and the available human and financial resources become exhausted and ineffective?

To me, the new variant puts the whole world into a war like situation. We have to go beyond the little tactical moves of our politicians and the shrewd business tactics of the oligopoly pharma industry and hold the politicians in “charge” of our countries liable for dereliction in office.

About the latter, I have proposed to do a moot court for students to practice and explore possibilities to hold our leaders accountable for dereliction in office. Any suggestion where to put it up would be welcome!

 

Thanks for contributing answers and suggestions to the points and question raised above