Over $30 billion needed to develop COVID-19 tests, treatments, vaccines: WHO

GENEVA: The World Health Organization said Friday that a global initiative to speed up the development and production of COVID-19 tests, vaccines and treatments will require more than $30 billion over the next year.

Providing details of the so-called ACT accelerator, aimed at pooling international resources to conquer the pandemic, WHO said "the costed plans presented today call for $31.3 billion in funding for diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines". So far, $3.4 billion of that had been pledged, it added. Earlier, the Directorgeneral of the World Health Organisation said that the scientists predict the world may have a Covid-19 vaccine within one year or even a few months earlier, even as he underlined the importance of global cooperation to develop, manufacture and distribute vaccines.

However, making the vaccine available and distributing it to all will be a challenge and requires political will, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday during a meeting with the European Parliament's Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. One option would be to give the vaccine only to those that are most vulnerable to the virus.

There are currently over 100 Covid-19 vaccine candidates in various stages of development. Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the pandemic has highlighted the importance of global solidarity and that health should not be seen as a cost but an investment.

He added that all countries in the world must strengthen primary health care and crisis preparedness and stressed the need for EU leadership globally.