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Boris Johnson will warn that the coronavirus pandemic has divided the international community as he pledges hundreds of millions of pounds to the World Health Organization to fight future viruses.
In a speech at the UN General Assembly later, the prime minister will warn that countries must work together and overcome the divisions created by the global health crisis or risk it getting out of control.
Johnson will also make a major financial commitment to the WHO, making the UK the organization’s largest donor country just months after Donald Trump froze US funding.
He will say: “After nine months of fighting COVID-19, the very notion of international community seems tattered.
“We know we cannot continue in this way. Unless we unite and turn our fire against our common enemy, we know that everyone will lose.
“Now is the time, therefore, here in what I fervently hope to be the first and last Zoom UNGA in history, for humanity to cross borders and repair these nasty fissures.”
The prime minister will also unveil an ambitious plan, slated to coincide with Britain’s G7 presidency next year, designed to prevent a future global health crisis.
In his pre-recorded speech, Johnson will add: “Here in the UK, the birthplace of Edward Jenner, who pioneered the world’s first vaccine, we are determined to do everything in our power to work with our friends from the UN to heal them. divisions and to heal the world. “
The five-point plan, developed with the Wellcome Trust and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to identify dangerous pathogens that could make the leap between animals and humans before they lead to COVID-like pandemics.
It will also pledge an additional £ 71 million for 27 million doses of vaccines for the UK to fight COVID-19 and spend £ 500 million to help poorer nations fight the virus.
By announcing the UK, it will increase WHO funding by 30%. Johnson will ask countries to work together, not separate.
The £ 340 million investment will be spent over the next four years and comes after President Trump criticized the WHO for failing to address the virus in the early stages. Funding from the UK will aim to ensure that the organization can be flexible and respond quickly to any future pandemics.
Johnson will also lay out other initiatives that the UK plans to champion when it takes over the G7 next year, including a global pandemic early warning system, improved treatment manufacturing capacity, global protocols for future health emergencies and a plan to reduce trade barriers. to help nations respond more quickly in the future.
In the early stages of the pandemic, some nations increased tariffs on key products like soap, making it difficult for poorer nations to respond well.
