Editorial: Practical help needed to subdue out-of-control outbreaks

A Covid-19 patient breathes with the help of an oxygen mask as he waits inside an auto rickshaw to be admitted to hospital in Ahmedabad, India. Photo / AP

EDITORIAL

The horrific coronavirus surge in India appears to be finally sparking the kind of global support and action expected for a disaster.

With vaccine programmes stepping up in wealthy areas of the world, it's past time that badly struggling countries got some help.

More than a billion vaccine doses have been distributed in 207 countries and territories, AFP reports. But the world needs a lot more.

Rich countries have administered about half of the doses, even though they account for 16 per cent of the global population.

At the same time Covid-19 infections are at record daily levels, thanks to the sudden surge in India. The Government there is having to organise special trains to bring oxygen supplies to cities. Brazil is also suffering badly.

India and Brazil are now second and third behind the United States in confirmed cases with 17.3 million and 14.3 million respectively. India's coronavirus deaths are officially close to 200,000 but experts say that's likely to be well undercounted. Brazil's Ministry of Health says there's been nearly 400,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths there.

It is obvious the situation calls for practical support supplied by countries that can spare it. Thankfully that appears to be happening at least in India's case.

Unwanted and hoarded vaccines, ventilators, oxygen tanks and other equipment could be flown in. Some of that equipment is on its way.

The United States will provide raw materials for Covid-19 vaccines, medical equipment, and ramp up funding for more vaccine factories - having been under intense pressure to do so over the weekend.

Importantly, the White House said on Tuesday that it would send up to 60 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses to other countries.

India's rival Pakistan has offered ventilators, oxygen supply kits, X-ray machines, and PPE. Britain and Germany are sending medical equipment, Saudi Arabia is shipping tonnes of oxygen, the European Union is co-ordinating supplies of oxygen and medicine.

Donating excess doses and sharing vaccine technology appear to be the best way of subduing coronavirus infections around the world.

Indian vaccine manufacturers say a US move earlier this year to restrict exports of some raw materials has been a hinderance. The question of waiving patents continues to be debated.

India has administered about 130 million jabs. Before the surge struck, India for months exported tens of millions of AstraZeneca doses made by the country's Serum Institute to other needy nations. Exports have now slowed.

Thiago Firmino sprays disinfectant in an alley to help contain the spread of the coronavirus, in the Santa Marta slum of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

After the struggles of last year, Western countries prioritised looking after their own populations first with vaccinations, and given that plenty of them had struggled to deal with the pandemic, that was understandable.

But some countries are now in a safer place. The US, for instance, has delivered 225.6 million jabs and Britain 33.5 million.

The European Union estimates that 70 per cent of its adult population will be immunised by the end of July.

The US will have an estimated 300 million extra vaccine doses by then. It has pledged billions in support for the Covax initiative to help poorer countries vaccinate. The Centre for Strategic and International Studies suggests the US should go further and donate 10 per cent of its excess doses, shifting to 50 per cent by year's end.

US President Joe Biden said in March: "If we have a surplus, we're going to share it with the rest of the world."

But Russia and China have been much more awake to the potential political benefits of vaccine diplomacy.

Leading the world in enabling the speed up of vaccine production would save lives and boost recovery.