The number of Covid-19 deaths in 2021 have surpassed the number of deaths from the virus in 2020.
Nearly four million people have died due to Covid-19 with nearly two million of those deaths being recorded in 2021.
The grim milestone comes are G7 leaders pledged to share Covid-19 vaccines with Covax for a large-scale rollout to lower income countries.
G7 countries will share at least 870 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines with the aim to deliver half of those vaccines by the end of 2021.
“This is an important moment of global solidarity and a critical milestone in the push to ensure those most at risk, everywhere are protected,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
“As we strive towards our goal of ending the acute phase of the pandemic, we look forward to working with countries to ensure these doses pledged are quickly turned into doses delivered.”
Despite the pledge of more vaccines for lower income countries, the executive director of UNICEF Henrietta Fore says more work needs to be done to stop the spread of the virus.
“Much work remains to continue to ramp up both the amount and the pace of supply to the rest of the world.
“We have reached a grim milestone in this pandemic: There are already more dead from Covid-19 in 2021 than in all of last year.
“Without urgent action, this devastation will continue.”
WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says most countries “have barely left the starting line” with Covid-19.
"Many other countries are now facing a surge in cases – and they are facing it without vaccines. We are in the race of our lives, but it’s not a fair race.
“We welcome the generous announcements about donations of vaccines and thank leaders. But we need more, and we need them faster.”
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