Covid-19 : World Leaders Pledge For Common Vaccine

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This was during a virtual conference to earmark ways of raising funds to fight the pandemic.

World leaders have pledged support for a plan to raise $8.3bn to find a coronavirus vaccine in a jointly signed open letter. The aim is to speed development of safe and effective drugs, tests and vaccines to prevent, diagnose, treat COVID-19 and ensure equal access to treatments for rich and poor.

The Brussels-led initiative was set out by European Commission, President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday ahead of a pledge video conference yesterday, April 4, 2020. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “This is a first step only, but more will be needed in the future.” 

Opening the virtual meeting, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “We are facing a common threat which we can only defeat with a common approach. Experience has shown that even when tools are available they are not equally available to all. We cannot allow that to happen.” he reiterated.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged countries to "pull together" to meet "the most urgent shared endeavour of our lifetimes". Mr Johnson, who spent three nights in intensive care with Covid-19, also confirm UK's pledge of £388m for vaccine research, testing and treatment. The conference was co-hosted by the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Saudi Arabia and the European Commission. The UN says a return to normal life will only be possible with a vaccine.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are also among those who have signed up to the initiative.

In the open letter made public to the media, the leaders said that the funds raised would, "kick-start an unprecedented global co-operation between scientists and regulators, industry and governments, international organizations, foundations and healthcare professionals". "If we can develop a vaccine that is produced by the world, for the whole world, this will be a unique global public good of the 21st Century," they added.

At the same time, the signatories have given their backing to the World Health Organization in the face of US criticism of its handling of the outbreak. More than 100 potential COVID-19 vaccines are currently under way across the world, including six already in clinical trials.