Islamabad, Jan 3 (Asia Free Press): Munir Akram, Pakistan’s permanent ambassador to the United Nations, was among the first diplomats to join a vaccine equity campaign initiated by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Abdulla Shahid at the start of the new year, according to media reports.
“The only hope for a sustainable and swift recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is to ensure equitable access to vaccines for everyone and everywhere,” the 193-member Assembly president said while launching the social media campaign entitled, “New Year’s Resolution for Vaccine Equity”.
UNGA President Shahid added that, “towards this end, we must join hands and resolve to work together. Let us be redouble our efforts during 2022 to ensure vaccine equity in the world.”
A press release from the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations said that Ambassador Akram joined the campaign and expressed his support, and reiterated that the key to a sustainable and swift recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is to ensure equitable access to vaccines for everyone and everywhere.
“No one is safe until everyone is safe,” the permanent Pakistani envoy said.
Earlier, before joining this equity campaign, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed in a tweet posted on his official feed that 70 million people were fully vaccinated in Pakistan against COVID-19 last year.
“To achieve this, our federal government alone procured vaccines worth almost Rs 250 billion and provided free vaccines to citizens in all the provinces,” Imran Khan said in a tweet.