BACKED by an international concert hosted by Selena Gomez and headlined by Jennifer Lopez, Global Citizen is unveiling an ambitious campaign to help medical workers in the world’s poorest countries quickly receive COVID-19 vaccines. The anti-poverty organization is announcing the musical event — “VAX Live: The Concert to Reunite the World” — with the goal of enlisting corporations and philanthropists to raise US$22 billion for global vaccinations. The concert, which airs May 8 on ABC, CBS and FOX as well as on iHeartMedia radio stations and YouTube, will also showcase the Foo Fighters, Eddie Vedder, J Balvin and H.E.R. The acts will be recorded at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. “There are 27 million healthcare workers globally who don’t have access to the vaccine,” said Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen. The Global Citizen program is among of a growing web of nonprofits and activists that are seeking to achieve wider, more equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. As of this month, Evans said, 60 nations had still not yet received any COVID-19 vaccines. To Evans, Gomez is an ideal host to press those points to the people who needed to hear them the most. “Selena Gomez is obviously an incredible leader in her own right,” he said. “She has one of the largest social followings on the planet, and she also is a true leader among young people and in the Latinx community.” Gomez, for her part, said she felt honored to be chosen. (SD-Agencies) |