World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called on wealthy countries to make sure they are not undermining efforts to get vaccinations to poorer countries by ordering additional COVID-19 vaccines, AP reported.

Rich countries have purchased several billion doses of vaccine, while some countries in the developing world have few or no doses. European countries have provided financial support to UN-backed COVAX efforts to deliver vaccines to the world's most vulnerable countries.

Earlier, G7 leaders said they would accelerate global vaccine development as well as deployment and support affordable and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.

WHO Director-General thanked the G7 countries for their important promises. However, he noted that the approaches of some wealthy countries to provide more vaccines are affecting COVAX transactions.