Brazil’s governors call on UN for ‘humanitarian aid’ to buy vaccines and intubation kits

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Friday, April 16th, Brazilian governors requested “humanitarian aid” from the United Nations (UN) for the purchase of vaccines against Covid-19 and of medicines and sedatives needed for patient intubation. Organized in the Governors’ Forum, they met by videoconference with the UN’s Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed.

“There are 11 states where patients are hospitalized with a shortage of painkillers, sedatives, and oxygen in some places; hence, there is a need for the UN to provide humanitarian aid in this direction,” said Piaui governor Wellington Dias (PT), coordinator of the vaccine issue in the Forum.

Dias stated that the governors decided to seek the UN’s assistance because the federal government has failed to do so. According to him, the situation is not ideal because states lack the diplomatic structure or experience in this kind of relationship.

According to the governor of Piauí, the lack of national coordination has hindered the fight against the pandemic. Nevertheless, the states insist on the importance of the federal government directing the fight against Covid-19, even if with a delay.

“The lack of an integrated national coordination is responsible for many of the serious results of this tragedy that happened in Brazil,” Wellington Dias stated.

Letter to the UN

The governors sent a letter to the UN secretary in which they list 5 points to fight the pandemic according to the group’s perspective, among them a strategy comprising restrictive measures and isolation, and the increase of vaccination through international aid.

The 5 points presented to the UN, according to Wellington Dias:

1. That the schedule of the Covax Facility international consortium be fulfilled;
2. That the UN talk with the European Union, India and China for Brazil to be prioritized in the delivery of APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients);
3. That the UN act together with AstraZeneca and Sinovac to anticipate the production of APIs in Brazil;
4. That the UN act so that the United States sells or lends AstraZeneca’s vaccines it has in stock;
5. That the UN help Brazil secure medicines and sedatives used for patients’ sedation and intubation.

According to Wellington Dias, the World Health Organization (W.H.O) said that an attempt will be made to anticipate the delivery of approximately 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the Covax Facility consortium.

“Efforts will be made for a delivery scheduled for May to be anticipated to the end of April – about 4 million doses. We will deal with Korea itself, with India, with China, with other production regions with delivery commitments to W.H.O., for this effort with Brazil,” said the governor.

According to Dias, states have a strategy to contain the coronavirus with restrictive measures, quarantine and isolation of people. “But there is a concrete fact: the virus has spread with force in Brazil,” he stated.

Vaccines

Governor of Maranhão Flávio Dino (PCdoB) said at the meeting that the temporary suspension of Covid-19 vaccine patents should be a worldwide debate, given the huge demand for immunizers.

“Several organizations and countries have emphasized that the UN system’s legal charter consecrates the social function of property and intellectual property. Perhaps the subject of temporary suspension of intellectual property rights, the so-called patent breaking, is an inevitable issue at a global level,” said Dino.

Wellington Dias also stated that the governors are asking Oxford University for the authorization to bring forward the date of production of the API by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz).

“This will be good for Brazil and for the world. To raise awareness in the UN of this humanitarian aid we are asking the world and the U.S., which has a production output ready and not in use that could be utilized for Brazil and other countries with low vaccination rates,” said the governor.

Source: G1

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