World leaders in effort to coordinate fight against the coronavirus
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World leaders are to participate in a virtual summit today to coordinate and finance the fight against the coronavirus pandemic with much attention expected to be given to the development of a vaccine.
The online pledging conference, which will be attended by the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and representatives of the EU, aims to secure more than £6bn in funding to support the global response to the coronavirus pandemic.
This will be used to support the development of treatments, tests and ultimately the mass production of a vaccine if one can be found.
However, the absence of both China and the US from the virtual summit is likely to raise concerns that competition between states to secure a vaccine could hinder global efforts
Monday’s fundraising summit comes after the concept was launched at a previous meeting on 24 April. Neither China nor the US attended the hastily assembled earlier summit, which also included the World Health Organization.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust were also said to be joining forces with the leaders.
Funding will be directed to health organisations such as CEPI, Gavi, the Vaccines Alliance, the Global Fund and Unitaid.
The British prime minister will join fellow world leaders in a virtual summit later aimed at galvanising global efforts to find a vaccine for COVID-19.
Boris Johnson will urge the international community to “pull together” in what he describes as “the most urgent shared endeavour of our lifetimes”.
The UK has pledged to give £388m in aid funding for research into tests, treatments and vaccines – part of a £744m commitment to help end the pandemic and support the global economy.
