Coronavirus: 'No-one is safe until everyone is safe,' says WHO director

COVID-19 has been one of the toughest logistical challenges ever faced, WHO Director Tedros Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing on Tuesday, in which he focused on the need for international collaboration in the search of a vaccine.

According to Reuters, in his statement Ghebreyesus listed the challenges countries faced during the pandemic, spanning from broken supply chains for personal protective equipment due to the cancellation of flights, the closure of borders and the development and production of rapid testing for COVID-19.

Ghebreyesus emphasized the need to draw lessons from the past months.

He expressed that it is only natural for leaders to want to protect "their own people first. However, he repeatedly stressed, the biggest lesson is that the response to the pandemic "has to be collective." He noted that "this is not charity," but the best way to handle the pandemic is to protect the most vulnerable everywhere simultaneously.

"No one is safe until everyone is safe," Ghebreyesus insisted and called for international collaboration with regards to research, medicines and supply of necessary items, including future vaccines.

"It is critical that countries don't repeat the same mistakes," he said. "We need to prevent vaccine nationalism." This is the only way to ensure equitable access and fair allocation of a future vaccine.”