Global leaders pledge ‘quantum leap’ towards fully funding COVID-19 vaccines and treatments

Global leaders, including more than 30 Heads of State and Ministers, have underlined their commitment towards fast-tracking the development and production of COVID-19 tests, medicines and vaccines, that will be available for anyone, anywhere, who needs them.

Following a virtual meeting on Thursday, they pledged to advocate for the $35 billion still required for the Access to COVID-19 Tools, ACT, Accelerator, to realise the goal of producing two billion vaccine doses, 245 million treatments and 500 million tests.

“We acknowledge the urgency of catalysing a step-change in political support and financing for the ACT-Accelerator in order to enable it to deliver on its mission of accelerating the discovery and deployment of new COVID-19 tools to all people, everywhere,” they said in a statement.

The ACT-Accelerator was launched in April and so far has received $2.7 billion, or less than one-tenth of the necessary financing.

The virtual gathering held on Thursday marked the inaugural meeting of its Facilitation Council.

The ACT-Accelerator was launched in April and so far has received $2.7 billion, or less than one-tenth of the necessary financing.

The virtual gathering held on Thursday marked the inaugural meeting of its Facilitation Council.

In his keynote address, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for “a quantum leap in funding” to help get the world back on track again.

“We now need $35 billion more to go from set-up to scale and impact. There is a real urgency in these numbers. Without an infusion of $15 billion over the next three months, beginning immediately, we will lose the window of opportunity,” he warned.

The ACT-Accelerator has already delivered substantial returns, according to the World Health Organisation, WHO, co-organisers of the meeting, alongside the European Commission.

The UN agency reported that more than 170 countries are now engaged in a COVID-19 Vaccine Facility, one of four pillars under the accelerator. Ten vaccine candidates are currently being evaluated, nine of which are in clinical trials.