The European Commission has registered €7.4 billion in pledges from donors across the globe to aid fundings of universal deployment of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines for the coronavirus.
The initiative is part of the response call from the World Health Organisation and a group of health actors to fastrack global access to essential coronavirus health technologies.
The Commission has also committed €1.4 billion to the pledge to help strengthen the global health systems.
In a statement released, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, highlighted the importance of working together for the common good.
“Governments and global health organisations joined forces against coronavirus. With such commitment, we are on track for developing, producing and deploying a vaccine for all. However, this is only the beginning. We need to sustain the effort and to stand ready to contribute more.The pledging marathon will continue. After governments, civil society and people worldwide need to join in, in a global mobilisation of hope and resolve.”
The pledging event was co-convened by the European Union, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom.
