The World Health Organisation has welcomed a pledge from G7 leaders of 870 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for poorer nations but says more is needed to combat the high mortality rates in third-world countries. Authorities confirmed the number of new COVID cases reported globally has dropped for the past seven weeks, the longest period of decline since the start of the pandemic. The World Health Organisation also called for political leaders to commit to immunising at least 70 per cent of the world's population by next year's G7 meeting.