Prince Harry is speaking out about why the world needs to change its approach to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic! UNAIDS shared a new letter from the Duke of Sussex on Wednesday, which saw him discuss the problem of vaccine inequity and explained why people need to learn from the past.
Prince Harry urges governments, companies to take accountability
Prince Harry's message was addressed to two key health officials— World Health Organization's Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UNAIDS Executive Director Ms Winnie Byanyima. He opened by acknowledging World AIDS Day, saying how Princess Diana "would be deeply grateful" for scientists' continued work in combating the disease. Then, he went on to explain why he feels the issue of vaccine inequity echoes the initial response to the AIDS epidemic.
The Duke of Sussex stated that the world is experiencing "a spectacular failure" in this regard, mentioning how third-world countries are impacted by inaccessibility to vaccines as a result. "Now more than ever, the voiceless majority of the world needs to be heard, and the onus is on our leaders to end this pandemic," he said, specifically mentioning the role of pharmaceutical companies and governments in being accountable for global welfare.
Prince Harry called it "destructive and self- defeating" to repeat the mistake of prioritizing first-world countries, urging the world to change its approach. He also lent his voice to a short film about vaccine inequity, which was shared on social media. This isn't the first time the royal has called for global cooperation when it comes to the pandemic. He and wife Meghan Markle have both spoken out on the topic, with Harry calling it "a human rights crisis" during a speech at Global Citizen Live back in September.