IFSW welcomes the G7’s pledge to provide 1 billion COVID vaccines to the countries that cannot afford them. IFSW Secretary-General Rory Truell commented, “This is a positive start and shows the advocacy of 160 million health, primary care and social work professionals and others who called for equal access to the vaccines has in part been heard. However, the G7 pledge falls short of the minimum of 11 billion vaccine doses needed. Our messages for longer-term strategies to close the gaps in health and social protection for all the world’s peoples also needs to be addressed. Not only to realise everyone’s fundamental human rights but also to be able to effectively manage this crisis and prevent further pandemics.”
Last month the global Coalition of Health, Primary Care and Social Work Professionals actively lobbied the G7 summit calling for equitable distribution and allocation of safe and effective vaccines and treatments. The intervention also stated, “We need to address health and economic disparities, nationally, regionally and internationally. This will require the co-design and co-production of effective health and social protection systems. Working with individuals and communities to increase the collective resilience and the preparedness of our systems to respond to potential future pandemics”.
The Coalition of Health, Primary Care and Social Work Professionals is further concentrating on the upcoming G20 summit to be held in Italy this October. IFSW members in the G20 states are encouraged to contract their ministries of health and heads of states and campaign for solutions for all the world’s populations.
Rory Truell further commented, “In addition to lobbying governments, social workers are needed to work at different levels. The best examples in controlling the pandemic have involved professionals working with politicians locally and engaging with the public for combined responsibility and action. This work needs to be elevated from the local and beyond national boundaries with a global mass movement for equitable vaccine distribution”.
Please share your actions at local, national and regional levels with IFSW for our mutual learning.