Saeed Namaki added that the world has been fighting COVID-19 for more than 15 months, which during this period, about 135 million people got infected, of which about three million died.

“COVID-19 pandemic swept the world severely, providing many lessons learned nationally, regionally, and globally, which demonstrated the unpreparedness of the global community to deal with a pandemic,” highlighted the minister.

“Leadership, solidarity, inter-sectoral collaboration, evidence-based interventions, and coordination between countries are the tools needed to manage the COVID-19 pandemic,” Namaki underlined.

“Unfair distribution of COVID vaccines showed the ugly part of our unfair world, where almost 80 percent of injected vaccines are in 10 developed countries while 18 low and middle-income countries are still with zero vaccines, so we must overcome this unfairness with transparency, cooperation, and solidarity,” pointed the minister.

COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge with a global solution, so national solutions can only help temporarily, he stressed.

“Injustice in this pandemic should be stopped through strengthening the leadership of World Health Organization (WHO), more investment in rapid response teams, data sharing, transparency, and accuracy of data in an agreed format to overcome legal barriers to defeat the pandemics,” Namaki concluded.

A high-level meeting of the Ascension Forum entitled “Strengthening Cooperation between European and the Persian Gulf Countries to combat the coronavirus” with Australia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Iran, Italy, Turkey, Palestine, South Africa, the World Health Organization, Yemen and Syria’s health officials’ attendance via videoconferencing was held at the Health Ministry on 19th Apr 2021.

Holding such a meeting was to discuss the latest achievements, experiences, challenges, financial problems, the economic impact of the COVID-19 and the vaccination process, and the obstacles the world faces.

Objecting to COVAX for its unfair COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Iran’s Health Minister stated that 1 million Iranians would be vaccinated next week.

Explaining the vaccination program, Namaki, said that one million doses of coronavirus vaccine would begin on Monday across the country to medical staff, medical students, hospital crew, and those who are in contact with infected patients.

Highlighting that the international organizations should be responsible for the unfair vaccine distribution around the world, the Health Minister added that despite being oppressed by sanctions, Iran has been able to manage its needs such as anti-coronavirus materials, medical equipment, and vaccine development.

Namaki stated that Iran had taken effectively promising steps to develop a coronavirus vaccine since the first day it (vaccine) was discussed in the world and was aware that the COVID-19 vaccine is not only a health and preventive product but a political means.

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In comments at a daily press conference on Sunday, Kianoosh Jahanpoor said COVID-19 has taken the lives of 51 patients over the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 6,988.

He also noted that 94,464 patients have recovered from coronavirus infection so far and have been discharged from the hospital.

The spokesman added that the number of patients tested positive for the novel coronavirus across the country has risen to 120,198 following the detection of 1,806 new cases since yesterday.

Among those undergoing treatment in the hospital at present, 2,705 patients have critical health conditions because of more severe infection, he said.

The spokesperson also noted that nearly 687,000 coronavirus diagnostic tests have been carried out in Iran so far.

Jahanpoor went on to say that the situation of epidemic in the southwestern province of Khuzestan is critical, while three provinces of Lorestan, Kermanshah, and Sistan and Balouchestan are in alarming conditions.

The number of people infected with COVID-19 across the world has surpassed 4.7 million and the death toll has exceeded 313,000.

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