U.N. News: 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 realize the goal of producing two billion vaccine doses, 245 million treatments, and 500 million tests. … 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 U.N. agency reported that more than 170 countries are now engaged in a COVID-19 Vaccine Facility [COVAX], one of four pillars under the accelerator. Ten vaccine candidates are currently being evaluated, nine of which are in clinical trials…” (9/10).

Additional coverage of the meeting and the ACT-Accelerator is available from CIDRAP News, Reuters, and VOA News.