well, the carnival's origins go back to the days of slavery. people in this community say it now symbolizes far more for utilizes puma need to derive last forward into the new year. and, and we use it as an explanation or factor that we become positive, again, positive after the jo slash for now, the usual celebrations have been put on hold. but still, with the hope that the global pandemic will not derail the passing on of a centuries old custom. for mr. miller, i'll jazeera cave down. ah, the watching old reserve me said robin doha, reminder of our top stories, sedans, prime minister, abdulla hm. dog has resigned less than 2 months after he signed a deal with the military following a coup. during his speech, m. dog said more talks are needed in order for all parties to come to an agreement . while it comes as protest as clash with security forces,

once again vowing to continue their fight against military rule, at least 3 people were killed. please fired, take us at crowds marching on the presidential palace in the capital. hebert morgan has been following developments from khartoum. he mentioned a lot of things including the things that he achieved during his tenure as prime minister just over 2 years. but he also said that the reason why he became prime minister in the 1st place was because of the constitutional declaration that the parish hang agreement that was signed between the force of freedom and change coalition. and the military following the overthrow of president omnibus. you, he said that political consensus was the reason why he was appointed as prime minister and the lack of that political consensus is why he's resigning. joe bud miss told his ukrainian counterpart, the u. s. will respond decisively if russia further encroaches on ukraine's territory during the phone call. they prepared for diplomatic talks later this month, but will also involve russia nater

a mean to de escalate the conflict. a person has been arrested in connection with a massive fathers ripped through south africa's parliament in cape town. the fall extensively damaged the national assembly chamber where politicians that pass that class because the blades swept through the new wing. no casualties have been reported. they all become barian 10 bad weather, causing major travel disruption in the u. s. with many airlines staff out sick. the country is seeing up to 2 and a half 1000 flight cancellations a day. that's half of the worldwide total airlines are offering a triple pay in an effort to boost staffing during the busy close of the holiday season, thousands of people in the netherlands of defy the banner mass gathering to demonstrate against the government's cove at 1900 restrictions the government opposed a nation wide lockdown 2 weeks ago, shifting all non essential stores and restaurants. you can follow all of those stories on our website that out there doc comes updated throughout the day. i'll be back with more news and half, and i next it's inside story. with mohammed jumping gym to stay with us.

mm. the world health organization's chief is optimistic, coven 19 may be defeated this year. and some scientists say the milder ami con variance could be the beginning of the end of the pandemic. but as such, confidence justified this is inside story. ah, hello and welcome to the program. i'm daring,

you navigate on. it's now the 3rd year of the pandemic, covered 19, has infected, nearly $300000000.00 people, and killed 5 and a half 1000000. numbers of infections are breaking records almost every day across north america, europe and asia. the micron variance is behind much of that surge scientists and britain believe a person's sick with the strain can, in fact 3 to 5 others. far more than with the delta variant of the world health organization warns the 2 variants could combine and cause what it calls a tsunami of infections around the world. despite this, the director general believes the pandemic can end this year if countries work together. but i still remain optimistic that this can be the year to weaken, not only end the acute stage of the funding, but we also charge a pause to stronger health security building on the successes and

failures. we must not only share vaccines faster and more equitably with callbacks and i, but we much support countries in manufacturing and rolling them out to everyone and access to new treatments must also follow or since its discovery in southern africa, november many studies have found the army chron very, and causes milder disease than others. admissions to hospitals in the u. s. u. k, and denmark are lower than during previous waves, and south africa says it may have passed its peak. some scientists believe on the chron will displace delta and become endemic, like the seasonal flu, but others are more cautious as come all santa maria explains. you may have heard dr. ted ross, the head of the world health organization, talking about the twin threats of delta and ami kron but whether it's a twin threat to you in your particular part of the world. well, that depends. gonna show some maps. first of all, from our world and data,

the red map is showing army cronin infections or at least where micron is more prevalent, pretty easy to see. and no surprise that down in south africa, that's where we 1st saw our army krohn, also australia, india, and russia. but i would draw your attention to europe, have a look the u. k. yes, we know there is a prevalence of omicron in the u. k, but the rest of europe is not as badly affected. it is dealing with delta change to the blue map and actually i'll change back and forth. have a look at the change across europe between the omicron and the delta maps. you can say there is a lot more delta to deal with in europe as there is a in south america and pots of southeast asia. now, just to give us a slightly different take of chosen 9 different countries here, and we're looking at their share of different infections. the red is all micron, the blue a delta infection. so starting at the top, south africa has got a rate of 96 percent on the crowd. now maybe that's a good thing. having more cases of the milder variance further down the list. let's

look at the united states, for example here, which is sort of got a $6040.00 splits between the 2. but i think what's interesting and i'm gonna try to draw a box around all of them. here are these european countries, italy, france, and germany with rights of 80 to 90 percent of delta. the more concerning variance, if i can put it that way of coping 19 and maybe that's why their restrictions are a little bit tighter in those sorts of countries. the question now is, is ami kron perhaps a lesser of 2 evils? ah, let's bring in our gas. joining us from dell ha, is had the se in who's the head of research cuts. our university's biomedical research center over in london is oksana pisec, who is the lead that university college london global citizenship program on outbreaks of infectious diseases. and joining us from being a liberal in india persona selig from public health research or,

and member of the people's health movement. welcome to the program. thank you for speaking to us on inside story. how do you see and you heard the, the director, general sounding pretty optimistic that the pandemic can and this year if he's saying countries work together, we've heard this call for global solidarity before. so it says optimism justified or is it misguided? no, i assume this is, this is based on scientific facts based on 2 main facts. if we can say number one, that the vaccine rate is increasing in multiple countries. and we know that the vaccines are effective, especially if the people are taking their doors. we know that the doors can provide some kind of protection if not necessary, from the infection, but at least from severe and this is even against armico and valiant a number 2, there are more and more reports showing that the army, chrome valiant,

although it's more transmissible it cause milder disease, especially in the vaccinated individuals. the hopping by the end of 2022, we have, we have like more people from your own against caught on a wireless. okay. press on a sunday graham, the w h o chief was also warning that nero nationalism and vaccine awarding according to him by some countries have undermined equity and created the ideal conditions for the this new variant, the mac on a very, into a to emerge. do you agree with that and how do you think the vaccine hoarding has allowed me crohn to emerge? yeah, one now the major aspect is that less than 10 percent of africa i still left and vaccinated and it is no accident. dr. omicron very and damaged from africa. so i think, yeah,

we keep on repeating this statement. no one is safe delivery of any safe. but the global solidarity that is needed is still missing. even after 2 years of pandemic, we are not seeing the sort of global cooperation that is needed for them. what to call them wide and dispersal off vaccines and administration of action. so the was, but can you just press on it just from the point that you were mentioning a moment ago, but the micron variant emerging from southern africa? can you definitely say that the micron variance of the strain is linked to vaccine inequality vaccine unique reality is not definitely in public health. of course you can be definitely talking about certain things, but definitely yes, there is a situation of maxine inequality in and for example topic i have not even completed 23 percent of its population. i mean it does not live in it. even 22 percent of its

population. so naturally it's rhyme ground. i mean this whole topic of with a better health system. and if you look at the southern african countries, you have much weaker head systems on hands. you can imagine what could be the situation there. so that's the point that i was trying to me. ok on a present on the point of inequality, public health officials warned at the time of the vaccine rollouts, which was correct me if i'm wrong here. but about a year ago now, they said that equitable vaccines was essential to preventing mutations, as well as dangerous variance that would prolong the pandemic. and here we are now, we hear the same calls for vaccine equality and, and equity. what's gone wrong? well, we took an approach which promoted business as usual. so currently we have 2 companies in the world that can make m r, n a vaccine or to find their as well as

a mentor, nor companies with it. they have some licensing agreements, for example, in various countries to, to mass produce, including in india. but we should be leveraging global back the manufacturing power as much as possible, as well as helping countries to stablish in the long term, their own manufacturing site where they're currently are not. so there are 2 things here. the world trade organization has been negotiating with country to try and really achieve a mechanism by which these backing can be a more rapidly, and they can be shared in a way that currently patent laws restrict that our humans, however, has a lifting, last, steam in no because countries like the u. k, germany and switzerland all oppose this in order to protect our industries. and if

we're looking at the argument around vaccine equity, we know that in largely unvaccinated populations where there is more opportunity for transmission and replication to occur, we're just increasing the really probability of, of, of variance to occur. i think we're now looking at, in the inevitability that more variance will emerge, but hopefully we will have the tools to suppress the severity. and that is why the w show is also now negotiating a w show pandemic treaty. so that in future there is a legally binding instrument that will prevent vaccine wording to occur. so it right from the beginning countries will be obligated to share doses. however, this is of course contingent upon all countries agreeing. and consensus has been something that's been very difficult to arrive at in this and i'm it right. and also outside of the, the w h. o. she said that the, his organization aim for a global vaccination rate by of 70 percent. and that's by july to end the pandemic

. so look at the way things have been going up until this point. do you think that target is likely to be met? i think it's an ambitious target. i think that it will likely take longer than not if the current level of cooperation stays where it is. and if we don't see a radical change of mindset, countries have made donations. but those dollars have not translated into doses or jobs in arms. and while places in the u. k, are now they're up to 30 percent of their population boosted. other countries have yet to get up to 10 percent of their country, even with the 1st doses. and that includes healthcare workers were one and for health care workers in africa are currently unvaccinated. and these are the people who are at highest risk. so we really need to start to think about things more creative we than we have been to ensure that we can get a quicker resolution to the end of the pandemic. if this does not mean the end of

coven 19 any of the end of the acute phase, and where we can manage it without the same pressure that we're experiencing here, i with hospitalizations, and in the u. k, there are massive workforce shortages as result of our micron and the steep incline of not only cases, but we're starting to see those 1st signals of a creaking and a chest. right. ok. i had the us in how to as a virology, i wonder if you can explain to us how do inequities actually prolong the pandemic. so as, as was mentioned by the other colleagues, so if you, if you have a community that's not immune to the virus, the virus will have the opportunity to duplicate them as a triplicate until i submit from one person to another like lawyers more and more mutations and this means we're going to have more and more valiant that circulate in the end of population. that is what i want to mention in here is that the

guarding ometer on the body and the number of mutations bad on the conveyance obtained from my perspective. it seems that it emerged through unusual event. so it's not like mainly through like transmission from one person to another person . because it is like that way you could have detected like earlier than that. but for me, like almost an inviting because of the number of because of the high number of invitation, it could be one of 2. these and how it's immersed. it's either it's like transmitted to animals and came back to human or. busy it has been evolving through immunocompromised patients like i b. so in terms of mac, it on body. and i don't think that back in the vaccine shortage in certain regions have led to the images of amazon values. so what you're

saying is if inequality is in vaccine access continue, then we will continue to see mute and strains of this corona virus. yes, because if you are in you and even if you are infected with the virus, the virus will not triplicate for a long period of time. so like if you click it for a longer period in, in your own people and that will get, have that, give it the chance to mutate and transmit from one person to another. the mutations be acquired and become stable in this balance. and if you are in you and then the virus have less chance to, to, to, to, to placate for a longer period of time. and let chance to mutate, it's going to mutate, but the mutation of it will be much lower. ok, understood, present. i'm going to ask you to respond to what had he said, because i saw you nodding along and also i'd like you to tell us because we hear a great deal about the situation across europe. and we've spoken about africa as well. but what does the situation banga lou or where you are when it comes to the

on the chrome variance? yes, so fast i answered the 2nd for sure. we are going through phase in we are having a rapid increase in cases. in the last 4 days, our corporate count has gone up 4 times. so we were at $5000.00 till about 5 days back. and now we are at $27000.00 cases. so there is a rapid increase in the number of cases, so that is the ground situation. we have vaccinated almost 90 percent with one doors, but 60 and 60 percent of eligible population in talking about with those us. and we have fallen shocked by about 40 per cent in vaccine 80. so whatever i'm talking about in the global scenario does on so played out in india in the sense that only 2 companies and the government did not break them or not beneath. so the 2

companies, what i love to have that monopoly, and as a result of which initially we had a chart fall and then they transferred it to the private sector. the private sector could not use the axis because it was very costly and people could not access. so the issue of access equity production, all of this are coming together to displaying audio during the time of find them. so that is the fust yes. yeah. ok. the 2nd is responding to handy, i think, yeah. the video, the fact that there is immunocompromised person who doesn't have the immunity on so speaks all the legacy issues of the access to medicine to be not access to back to be so even be patient by anybody else with immunocompromised do having a variant having the white us between them, then there is always a chance that the right us mutates. and that's also the legacy issue. if you look

at the equitable access to medicines and those sorts of issues. so the iniquities are very stark. and the irony is that the countries which are opposing the whole troops waiver and for the release of the patterns and all those, they are the ones which are also going to hoard 5th 6 to be the countries of germany as the bus and from you get talked about you k, there have been opposing this tips waiver within 15 months, back by dan thought africa and dad suffering also with the most number of cases. so i think you're up and you are better off in breaking the monopolies rather than holding onto the monopolies if they, if they want to be safe. and another classic gifted israel, right, which did not bother to a new knife and by letting in. so that was vaccine, apart by other than bacteria liquid you had to act in apartheid also being followed

as a result of use really close to the horse was started to okay. that no. so let me bring you in exactly on that point of boosters. the, the w h o also he chief, excuse me, he did criticize some nations for conducting sort of blanket booster programs as he called them, while other states remain largely unvaccinated. so there is this view by some of the wealthier nations that the booster shop programs will perhaps find their way. it will help them find their way out of the pandemic. i mean, can they boost their way out of this pandemic? how likely is it that it actually achieves the opposite effect? well, certainly, multi layered levels of protection are going to be the most effective relying on the vaccine alone is partially why some countries have a much higher force, fixed weight impact on their health care system than others boosters. however, we need to be talking about them as a and because at this point with armor on,

unlike other variance, there is a huge amount of breakthrough infections occurring. so to jose is clearly not enough to really prevent the level of impact on hospitalized hospitalizations. so again, in the u. k, the early days were very early in the wave compared to south africa where we saw that it peaks. but there are cautions about comparing the u. k too closely because they had a previous built up immunity from other variance. and they were younger population . so in that instance, it is necessary in this case, for us to ensure that boosters are delivered alongside other doses, but as a u. k. apologies, but the u. k. i mean data out of the u. k. very recently suggested the protection against army kron starts to wayne after 10 weeks after that booster vaccination. so

does the suggest to you then? a 4th job is imminent, on perhaps a 5th job. well, what we did see is, is a drop in antibody, but there is also studies being done on t cell and the cell protection. and that cross reactivity, which shows that there will still be a levels of recognition within the body to help fight off the pathogen. so it's, i would say that although we have some winnie, the point now is that it's still quite effective in reducing hospitalizations. and that is really the most important aspect around the vaccination program in the year of amazon is to reduce in severity. so even if there is a waiting effect with anti bodies, which we are seeing with boosters, it may not necessarily mean that a 4th dose is needed. israel is acting on very early data in this instance, and the w show has recommended on waiting for

a stronger evidence base before proceeding with that. but we night, we need to be making sure that while we have a booster program ruling that this doesn't detract from vaccinating other regions of the world to have to be and, and there are mechanisms for that to happen. i just need the appropriate cooperation unless politicization around distribution is awesome. really practical on the ground thing. so we need technology transfer as well as ensuring that we have a support with supply chains and other practical aspects to ensure that syringes are an appropriate supply supporting workforce. it can just be handing over a blueprint. there used to be a full package road suite of solutions and sure other countries can get up to speed with this. i don't know what o'connor was saying, just to pick up on what x i was saying. i wonder if you can weigh in on the situation here because we also know that there have been reports, in fact that nigeria, for example, had thrown out a 1000000 vaccines because they had expired. so our african,

some african country is getting the leftover so to speak and, and how do you change that? so this is more than 2 politics. i'm not sure if i can come too much about that. for me, this is kind of obligations when one of the nation is to support the nation in terms of vaccines. right. and one thing i can point out that maybe some of these i think, encounters getting, let's say, 2nd or 3rd, 11 vaccines rather than the best vaccine. i'd like the message of automate. but i can recommend too much about about the subject, if something between between tickets or bank, then let's take it to the bank of the room. press on. would you like to weigh in on this? yes, we should. politics and the whole vaccine inequities audible with politics. for example, there was a recent paper resort that had about 100 companies around the world,

including african countries. where am i didn't have actions could have been manufacture on it. what you call ramped up scale. but we are seeing over there that it is happening on top of it. we're fattening the buses of the ones who also i incidentally more than not got the money from public ex chicken after united states of america to manufacture their mother maxine and the costliest. maxine, so we need to talk politics, we need to talk about global health governance. and i was saying a person or also it's not just the shortages of the vaccine of an effect, the logistics. so once the vaccines arrive in 2 countries with distribution, there's issues with the vaccine has to be as well and have that i, when have the, i would, is also the polity. so they might have been not being very late. of course that are held systems deficiencies which we all know in african countries. but beyond that,

actually there are papers made sure that for example, the whole supply of my students have been delayed by the global mechanism that was put up. i'm for which the african countries even to the field of actors late by which time they could, i mean, they were not given by an intimation that we're not given. but it, but it re time, nothing. and the vaccines landed like that are. so there are issues, multiple layers of issues, but one of the things that we have to talk about is if there were to be enough supplies, then we would not have had so much of bottlenecks. if it even writes, that'll take a whole other show. but we have to leave it there, we've run out of time. let's hope the w h o chief is correct when he's optimistic this year can be the and thank you so much for joining us to have you sign up as they can. first time to sell the grammar. we appreciate your time and your thoughts . thank you for watching you can see the program again. anytime by visiting our website, al jazeera dot com for further discussion,

you can go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha. inside story. you can join the conversation on twitter. i was, well, our handle is a inside story for myself and the whole team here and how thanks for watching and bye bye for now. the ah. the silence has been distinct. ah, beneath this eden ah is one of scandinavian largest iron or deposits.

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should we needed a round table for this or vision of the country to come to an a.