The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will appear at Global Citizen Live in New York this week.
The couple – who live in California with their children Archie, two, and Lili, three months – will be part of the music event on Central Park’s Great Lawn on 25 September to discuss the importance of global vaccine equity and call for the G7 and EU to donate at least 1 billion coronavirus vaccine doses to those most in need immediately, the organisation have announced.
Prince Harry, 37, previously appeared at Gobal Citizen’s Vax Live concert in Los Angeles in May to discuss the issue.
He said on stage: “The vaccine must be distributed to everyone everywhere.
“We cannot rest or truly recover until there is fair distribution to every corner of the world. The virus does not respect borders and access to the vaccine cannot be determined by geography.”
And he and his 40-year-old wife Meghan wrote an open letter via Global Citizen to Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Norovax urging them to do more to help those in developing countries gain access to coronavirus vaccines.
They wrote: “The world owes you gratitude for leading the successful development and manufacturing of safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19. This was achieved in record time, amidst a once-in-a-century global pandemic. It’s truly a testament to what can be achieved when partners work together towards a shared goal.
“However, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated health, social, and economic inequality globally. The global vaccine rollout thus far further deepens these disparities, with the poorest and most marginalized populations most adversely impacted. As of May 1, over 80% of the 1.2 billion vaccine doses administered globally have occurred in high-and upper-middle-income countries while the very lowest-income countries have administered just 0.4%.
“As we are seeing in countries like India, the urgency to deliver doses now to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19 is only increasing. That’s why it is imperative that we ensure equitable vaccine access globally so that people are protected, economies can recover, and this global pandemic can be brought to an end everywhere.
“Therefore we, the undersigned, stand with Global Citizens who want to see COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers act with extraordinary purpose, responsibility, and leadership in response to this equity crisis.”
They also urged Pfizer and Moderna bosses to follow the lead of Astra Zeneca – who have vowed not to profit from the vaccine during the pandemic – and supply at least 100 million doses of the jab at “not-for-profit” prices, and for the manufacturers to speed up their offering for the COVAX global vaccine initiative.