WHO Director-General and global faith leaders high-level dialogue on COVID-19

On Friday March 19th, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with Religions for Peace (RfP) senior leaders for a high-level dialogue centered on the value of multi-faith collaboration in the pandemic response, especially the role faith leaders and organizations play in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The nearly twenty RfP leaders, convened by RfP Secretary-General, Professor Azza Karam, represented all major faith traditions.

The theme of the dialogue was the growing inequities experienced during the pandemic, especially the barriers surrounding equitable vaccine distribution. Dr. Tedros highlighted in his opening statement, that while more than 400 million doses of vaccines have been distributed in 148 countries, three-quarters of these vaccines have gone to only ten countries. He noted that, 'justice and equity are key principles in all faith traditions' and sought the support of faith leaders for a more equitable sharing of vaccines and other life-saving tools.

Dr. Tedros raised the issue of intellectual property rights as a barrier to increased vaccine production capacity. If we cannot ensure access to vaccines for all then everyone remains threatened by the virus. The religious leaders echoed this concern, noting that a multi-faith and multistakeholder approach is important for the success of the global vaccination efforts. The pandemic has highlighted our interconnectedness and the imperative to work together for the response and for the health of all beyond the pandemic. Moreover, Dr. Tedros encouraged faith leaders to use their voices as leverage to urge global leaders to prioritize vaccine equity.

In addition to discussion around vaccine access, equity and acceptance the senior religious leaders shared with Dr. Tedros their collective experiences, including:

• Efforts to bridge the gap between science and faith.
• The need to reach the underserved and most vulnerable, including migrants, refugees, children and women.
• The criticality of addressing vaccine hesitancy, urging WHO to tackle misinformation directly.
• The need to address mental health and trauma that has resulted from the pandemic, highlighting the role of faith organizations in addressing associated gender-based violence.

Dr. Tedros commended this multi-faceted role and emphasized the specific advantage the faith community has in reaching the most vulnerable, and in providing spiritual care. In particular he urged those present to address mental health because, as he stated, 'all populations suffer traumas after this kind of upheaval, and this is the case of the pandemic.'

In his concluding remarks, Dr. Tedros expressed his wish to formalize WHO's partnership with the faith community for both the COVID-19 response and the broader agenda of Health for All. In recognizing the many ways that faith leaders are well positioned to reach communities, he noted that 'faith communities are trusted sources of support, comfort, guidance and information', are advocates for justice and equity, and are health service providers in many places. The pandemic has highlighted the centrality of health in each and everyone's lives, and faith leaders and faith institutions play an important role in upholding health as a human right.

This high-level roundtable occurs in the context of ongoing collaboration and dialogue between WHO and faith leaders around the world. To further develop partnership, WHO's Information Network for Epidemics (EPI-WIN) team launched three 'communities of practice' (COPs) in late 2020. The COPs help shape future work in three areas relevant to the faith community's engagement with WHO: communication, research, training and capacity building, and developing a framework for engagement.  The COP membership represents a diversity of faiths, regions across the globe, and a wealth of experience working in and with communities. These COPs are working remotely, meeting on-line once per month, to co-develop a series of webinars, communications and projects. To receive more information about this work, sign up to the EPI-WIN Newsletter.

Read Dr. Tedro's opening remarks here and the Religions for Peace statement here. 

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