Must ensure global equitable access for all new coronavirus COVID-19 vaccines, diagnoses and treatments: WHO | World News



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The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that all new vaccines, diagnoses and treatments for the COVID-19 coronavirus should be equally available to everyone around the world and outlined a plan to accelerate work to combat COVID- 19. He said that the world faces a common threat, which can only be defeated with a common approach.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus launched the COVID-19 Tool Access Accelerator, or ACT Accelerator, calling it a historic collaboration. Its goal is to accelerate the development, production, and equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapies for COVID-19.

“Today, WHO is proud to partner with many partners to launch the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, or ACT Accelerator. This is a landmark collaboration to accelerate the development, production and equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics and therapies for COVID -19, “he said.

He said: “Since January, the WHO has been working with thousands of researchers worldwide to accelerate and track vaccine development, from the development of animal models to clinical trial designs, and everything in between. We have also developed diagnostics that are being used worldwide and we are coordinating a global trial on the safety and efficacy of four therapies against COVID-19. “

He added that the world needs these tools, “and it needs them fast.” “Past experience has taught us that even when the tools are available, they have not been equally available to everyone. We cannot allow that to happen,” he added.

Tedros added that the shared commitment is to guarantee that all people have access to all the tools to defeat COVID-19. “ACT Accelerator brings together the combined power of various organizations to work with speed and scale. Each of us is doing a great job, but we cannot work alone. We come together to work on new ways to identify challenges and solutions together,” he added. .

“I am especially grateful to President Emmanuel Macron, President Ursula von der Leyen, and Bill and Melinda Gates for their leadership and partnership in organizing this ACT Accelerator launch together. We are also grateful for the support of many world leaders, whom Listen today. And I would like to especially thank Sir Andrew Witty and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for agreeing to act as Special Envoys for the ACT Accelerator, “he added.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global crisis that has been met with an unprecedented global response, he said, adding that research and development have played a central role.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the goal of a global engagement effort in early May would be to raise 7.5 billion euros ($ 8.10 billion) to accelerate prevention work, diagnosis and treatment. “This is only a first step, but more will be needed in the future,” he said at the conference.

Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the African Union, praised WHO’s “excellent stewardship” in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic that has spread worldwide. He warned that the African continent was “extremely vulnerable to the ravages of this virus and needs support.”



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