Vaccinate and care for the vulnerable, the urgent call of the OMS

Government authorities impose restrictions to prevent people from meeting in public spaces due to the severity of the pandemic. At the same time, the State exposes older adults in its unknown vaccination plan and, all, at the polls.

Uncertain vaccination plan? Yes. Older adults scheduled through SMS messages sent by CNT (is it the best means?) Have attended, punctually, due to their doses, to appointments that are not kept (as in a university in the valley) or that start with hours of delay, because 'there are no vaccines'. Older adults? Yes; they leave their confinement to remain hours in tumult, swallowing sun, cold, pollution; vulnerable in the midst of covid-19, which already leaves a historical mortality. Inadmissible! The state? Yes, without being up to the task. His immunization plan brings shortcomings such as the message "you do not correspond to the prioritized target groups", which are received by people over 70 years of age on the platform where they registered, three weeks ago, for the over-65 phase. Unpresentable! Historical mortality? Let's see the official data. 84,055 deaths were registered in Ecuador between March 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020 (Civil Registry: all causes). And in the pandemic? From March 1, 2020 to the last March 31, 2021, there were 130 688 registered deaths; that is, 46,633 additional deaths in one year; an increase of 55.4% (before the pandemic it did not exceed 3% per year). Creepy! "Covid-19 has exacerbated inequalities in health and well-being." That conclusion was exposed on April 6 by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has decided to make five urgent calls to countries: 1. Guarantee that vaccines are available to those who need them; as well as oxygen, equipment for healthcare personnel, medicines and reliable tests. 2. Do not cut public spending on health. 3. Invest in people affected by job loss, poverty, education, hunger. 4. Guarantee access to healthy housing in neighborhoods and to health, livelihoods and digital technology in rural communities. 5. Guarantee current and quality data on inequality. Vaccines? Tests? Medicines? Inequality? On Sunday April 11, Ecuador will go to the polls for a crucial day. What is the State's plan to avoid the ‘surprise’ of February 7, when long, hourly lines at the polls (voting is mandatory) were among the regrettable? Plan? Yes. 10.6 million people will be on the streets (in the register there are 13.1 million, on February 7 absenteeism was 19%). Gentlemen, Covid-19 infections increased by 31.4% in Ecuador since that February 7, 2021, and deaths increased 13.6%. Public spending? The Constitution foresees that 4% of the General Budget of the State is destined to public health. The next President is expected to deliver; no longer blame the victims; that he does not handle the pandemic negligently; that your plan to protect the vulnerable is not implausible.