HARARE, Zimbabwe: International donors have raised US$700 million – less than half the target – to purchase future coronavirus vaccines for poor countries in a global initiative to ensure eventual vaccines do not go only to rich countries, a World Health Organization official said on Thursday (Sep 10).
The COVAX Advanced Market Commitment has an initial target of US$2 billion to buy the vaccines.
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"Up to today, what has been mobilised so far is US$700 million … So there is a great deal of work to be done to diversify the possible sources of funding," Matshidiso Moeti, Africa regional director for the WHO, told an online press briefing.
COVAX is co-led by the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, the WHO and the CEPI Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Its aim is to deliver 2 billion doses of effective, approved COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021.
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At least eight African countries, including South Africa, Gabon, Namibia and Equatorial Guinea had agreed to self-finance access to the vaccine, Moeti said.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention saiRead More – Source
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