Chair of the African Union, His Excellency President Félix Tshisekedi,
Chairperson of the African Union Commission, His Excellency Moussa Faki Mahamat,
President of the Republic of Rwanda, His Excellency Paul Kagame,
President of the Republic of Senegal, His Excellency Macky Sall,
Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,
Director of the Africa CDC, Dr John Nkengasong,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
This virtual conference is taking place at a critical moment in the struggle of our continent and the global community to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
While the global rate of transmission continues to climb, millions of people across the world are being vaccinated every day.
 
Despite concerns around new waves of infection and the emergence of new variants, the production of effective vaccines has provided hope for recovery.
 
But not all countries can share equally in the hope of having access to vaccines at the time they need them most.

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