Editor's note: Azhar Azam works in a private organization as market and business analyst and writes about geopolitical issues and regional conflicts. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Just 10 countries have administered 75 percent of all coronavirus vaccinations worldwide at a time when more than 130 nations are yet to receive a single jab. Three of the wealthiest G7 states – Canada, the UK and the U.S. – shockingly have secured enough doses to inoculate their population up to five times over.

After most of world's vaccine supply is stockpiled mostly by the elite club of rich nations, commitment to donate surplus doses once all Brits or most Americans are vaccinated as well as earmarking a paltry 4-5 percent to poor countries is a sheer selfish gesture, akin to taking the mickey out of the developing world.

Last November, India and South Africa floated an idea at the World Trade Organization for temporary suspension of intellectual rights, allowing poor countries to produce their own vaccine. But mature economies quickly ganged up, strongly opposed and finally blocked the proposal, exposing Western protectionist mindset toward the developing world and their so-called support for global equality.

In the middle of "wildly uneven and unfair" distribution and at the moment when Western countries had snapped up large quantities of the vaccine, Beijing kept its promise and announced a plan to dispatch 10 million doses to poor nations through the World Health Organization's COVAX initiative so that they do not fall behind due to dearth of vaccine.

Some have been casting doubts on the safety and efficacy of China's vaccine. Since at least eight heads of states have so far publicly received Chinese vaccine jabs and 43 million shots of Sinopharm are now administered, this dismal campaign needs to cease and focus should be given on showing solidarity against the pandemic and making sure global equality in vaccine distribution.

Beijing is actively participating in COVAX that aims to bring together 190 low- and high-income economies by delivering 2 billion COVID-19 doses on an equitable basis through 2021. With the facility saying vaccine delivery would not be started before March, it is critical that rich countries also back the global mechanism and release the trove of vials to assist it achieve the goal of vaccinating 20 percent of the worldwide poor headcount by the end of this year.

Recently, the anti-poverty group ONE Campaign warned the virus won't wait on us to be ready before it mutates. Noting that superfluous doses purchased by affluent countries alone would be sufficient to vaccinate the entire adult population of Africa, the non-partisan organization said, "This huge vaccine excess is the embodiment of vaccine nationalism, with countries prioritizing their own vaccination needs at the expense of other countries and the global recovery."

The apathetic approach to stash vaccines in warehouses from rich nations is untenable and inexcusable because as long as virus is uncontrolled around the world, it would cross borders to potentially double the global deaths and cost up to $9.2 trillion to the global economy, a nightmare situation that could be prevented by providing vaccine to developing nations.

Serbia is one good example of how a Balkan state is quickly vaccinating its population, at a rate twice than that of any country in the European Union, with Chinese help. As Belgrade has already been seeing Chinese investment pouring into the country to build bridges, roads, rail lines, steel mills and surveillance technology – when no one wanted to deliver anything – the argument Beijing was using "vaccine diplomacy" should fade away.

Unlike its Western counterparts that have monopolized the global vaccine market and are reluctant to manufacture it on a domestic level, Chinese companies are willing to strike licensing deals with other countries to produce vaccines locally. The gallant move to concede profit and share expertise should be embraced globally to preclude the risk of yet another health and economic crisis.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has successfully vaccinated millions of people, more than per capita shots in many countries, using the Sinopharm vaccine. With Western companies balking to transfer technology, the Chinese vaccine manufacturer offered full-scale transfer of tech, skills and the opportunity for the UAE to produce vaccines for regional distribution.

Even though Chinese efforts to produce and deliver vaccine would help neutralize the impact of stockpiling life-saving vials, the mature economies still need to change their inhuman attitude toward poor nations and should immediately pledge substantial jabs to the COVAX besides ensuring affordable and accessible vaccine for underdeveloped and conflict-ridden territories.

The new forecast from the Economist Intelligence Unit sketched a starkly divided world, in which the developed and a slew of middle-income nations may achieve "widespread vaccine coverage" within this year or the next. In comparison, more than 85 poor countries won't be able to immunize their people on a large scale until 2023 – or even by 2024 – including large parts of Africa and some countries in Asia and Latin America, according to some experts.

With new variants threatening to spread across the planet and the virus continuing to wreak havoc on communities and the global economy, resource-rich countries cannot sit on the sidelines and must strengthen the global fight against the pandemic by releasing the hoarded vaccines for the developing world. The COVID-19 is a common enemy and can be defeated through equality in vaccine distribution, collective wisdom and international unity.

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