The World Health Organization and other aid groups are appealing to leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies to fund a US$23.4-billion plan to bring COVID-19 vaccines, tests and drugs to poorer countries in the next year.
GENEVA -- The World Health Organization and other aid groups on Thursday appealed to leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies to fund a US$23.4-billion plan to bring COVID-19 vaccines, tests and drugs to poorer countries in the next 12 months.
"The request is for $23.4 billion. That's a fair amount of money, but if you compare with the damage also done to global economy by the pandemic it is not really that much," Carl Bildt, WHO Special Envoy to the ACT-Accelerator, told reporters earlier. Equal budgets of $7 billion are earmarked for both vaccines and diagnostic tests, with a further $5.9 billion for boosting health systems and $3.5 billion for treatments including antivirals, corticosteroids, and medical oxygen.
"One of the things that is now interfering in a big way is the need for boosters, more and more high income countries are going in for the booster doses and this is now sucking up the vaccine doses as well," Swaminathan added.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Immunocompromised may need a fourth COVID-19 shot, CDC saysPeople with certain health conditions that make them moderately or severely immunocompromised may get a fourth mRNA COVID-19 shot, according to updated guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read more »
London, Ont. long-term care home charged in relation to COVID-19 outbreak that killed nurseA long-term care facility in London, Ont. is facing charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a COVID-19 outbreak that killed a registered nurse.
Read more »
FDA advisers back Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for young kidsFood and Drug Administration advisory panel votes unanimously to endorse Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11
Read more »
U.S. FDA advisers back Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for young kidsA panel of U.S. health advisers on Tuesday endorsed kid-size doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, moving the U.S. closer to beginning vaccinations in children ages 5 to 11.
Read more »
Ontario expands take-home COVID-19 tests to schools across the provincePCR tests will be available to all students in Ontario public schools. Unvaccinated education workers will have to undergo rapid antigen testing three times a week instead of two
Read more »