A World Health Organization program aimed at speeding global access to coronavirus tests, treatments and vaccines needs $35 billion, director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
The Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, launched in April, is a partnership with organizations including the European Commission, to “catalyze the development of and equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics,” Tedros said.
But it needs more funding.
And the program is threatened by bilateral vaccine deals and vaccine nationalism, he said.
“We need to rapidly scale up our clinical trials, manufacturing, licensing and regulation capacity so that these products can get to people and start saving lives,” Tedros said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said new solutions were needed "for prevention, testing and treatment of Covid-19."
"We all know we need them fast. We need them for all those in need, anywhere,” she said. “And we need them on affordable conditions.”
