18-year-old Portsmouth Ambassador advocates for vaccine access at Global Goals Summit

Ella Reilly, an 18-year-old Youth Ambassador for the international non-profit campaign ONE, headed to Dubai to take part in the Global Goals summit, in association with the United Nations.

One works to educate people around the world on issues related to ending extreme poverty and preventable disease, with a goal to end poverty by the year 2030.

As part of her role as Ambassador, Ella was given the chance to attend Global Goals on January 16, as part of One’s Global Week of Action, during which she took part in a Twitter stunt to highlight the urgency of global vaccine equity.

The week-long event featured expert talks exploring how countries are working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals - 17 goals set by the United Nations in 2015 as a blueprint to achieve a ‘better and more sustainable future for all’ by 2030 - which One dubs the global ‘To-Do List’.

Ella, from Baffins, also met UN Secretary General Youth Envoy, Jayathma Wickramanayake, following her speech on the ways in which countries are working together to make positive changes in the world.

One found that twice as many people in wealthy countries have received a booster shot, than people in low-income countries have even had their first dose.

The movement warns that it could take over a decade before low-income countries can secure enough vaccines to put an end to this crisis, and is campaigning to change that.

Ella also spoke with Nikhil Taneja, CEO of Yuvaa, also on the Global Advisory Board of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, about vaccines.

Ella said: ‘We cannot talk about sustainable futures if low-income countries are still struggling to vaccinate their populations.’

‘Vaccinating the world and ending the pandemic must be prioritised in the world’s to-do list,’ she added.

In his speech, Nikhil noted that ‘nobody is safe until everyone is safe.’

Recent polling by Ipsos MORI shows that 72% of the British public support the idea that ‘ending the Covid-19 pandemic globally in 2022’ should be the top priority for the UK Government.

Ella explained how important the event was in this effort, and what it meant to her and those at One, saying: ‘It confirmed that we’re not the only people that believe that vaccine equity is important.’

‘It’s reassuring to know that it’s not just something that we as young people in the UK are passionate about, but that it’s echoed all over the world.’

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