On Wednesday, the World Health Organization stated that vaccines against several illnesses save millions of lives every year. A global market report on vaccines showed that a profit-driven approach to how vaccines are developed and distributed was leaving a sizable population without access to lifesaving shots. Therefore, market forces should not be allowed to determine which vaccines are developed and where they are produced.

Last year, countries across the globe agreed to ensure sustainable access to vaccines in a bid to save 50 million lives. Dr. Kate O′Brien, vaccine chief of the WHO, stated that to meet this goal, a new prototype is needed. In a press conference, she stated that the government needs to set terms for vaccines as life-saving public health goods rather than treating them as a profit-driven, market-driven commodity.

She added that according to the global report, there is an absence or lag of investment when it comes to immunizing against diseases associated with markets of little commercial value, especially for vaccines needed for emergencies, like cholera, typhoid, monkeypox, and Ebola, where demand surges with outbreaks. This limited investment could result in a devastating outcome for people’s lives.

Additionally, Dr. Kate added that only a handful of manufacturers in a few countries account for the production of the most widely-used vaccines across the globe, often complicating procurement and access in poorer regions. Hence, she called for public investments to ensure a fair process for vaccine development and equitable access to the shots, regardless of market interest.