Saudi Crown Prince, Italian PM Meloni discuss regional security in phone call    Musaned tops 2024 Beneficiary Satisfaction Index among 39 platforms with a rate of 96%    Saudi Arabia launches loan guarantees for SMEs to stimulate investment in environmental projects    Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah is among top three 5-star hospitals in Middle East and North Africa    Antenna: Saudi artist Ahmed Mater opens first solo exhibition in China    79 hospitality facilities in Makkah and Madinah face penalties for closure order violations    S&P upgrades Saudi Arabia's credit rating to A+    Trump orders 'decisive' military action against Houthis in Yemen    US Senate passes Republican spending bill to avert government shutdown    Zelenskyy says territorial control key to peace talks, rejects recognition of occupied regions    Pakistan says train hijacking death toll rises to 30, accuses India and Afghanistan of supporting militants    Al Nassr climbs to third with dominant win over Al Khaleej, Al Qadsiah slips after loss to Damac    CEDA reviews role of reforms in diversification of economy and surge in non-oil revenues    Crown Prince receives Yazeed Al-Rajhi after historic Dakar Rally 2025 victory    Saleh Al-Shehri's late penalty rescues Al Ittihad against Al Riyadh    SR17 million fines slapped on 16 individuals and companies convicted of violating Capital Market Law    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Man lives for 100 days with titanium heart in successful new trial    Argentinian court begins trial of seven healthcare professionals over Maradona's death    Singer Wheesung who wooed Korea with his ballads, found dead at 43    Prince Frederik of Luxembourg dies from rare disease    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



UN chief calls on more countries to fund global COVID-19 vaccine effort
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 30 - 09 - 2020

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday called for all nations to provide further urgently needed funds — the equivalent of the total spent on cigarettes worldwide every two weeks — on behalf of global COVID-19 vaccine efforts to ensure that everyone, everywhere, gets protection from the virus.
The Access to COVID-19 Tools — the ACT-Accelerator — along with its COVAX Facility, is a groundbreaking global collaboration to accelerate development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.
Launched at the end of April 2020, the ACT-Accelerator has secured $3 billion, critical for its start-up, but it needs a further $35 billion, including an "immediate infusion" of $15 billion, Guterres said at a high-level event to mobilize support for the initiative.
"These resources are crucial now to avoid losing the window of opportunity for advance purchase and production, to build stocks in parallel with licensing, to boost research, and to help countries prepare to optimize the new vaccines when they arrive."
Any delay would further widen already vast inequalities, he warned.
The UN chief outlined clearly that to reach that amount, donors' paying in through official development assistance budgets, will not be sufficient.
"We need to think bigger. It is time for countries to draw funding from their own response and recovery programs. By helping others, they will help themselves", Guterres said.
The coronavirus pandemic is costing the global economy $375 billion a month and has destroyed around 500 million jobs so far.
The secretary-general called on developed countries — which have devoted many trillions of dollars to respond to the socio-economic impacts of the crisis in their own countries — to "invest a small fraction of that, to stop the spread of the disease everywhere."
"I call on all countries and partners to significantly step up in the next three months to provide much needed new and additional resources and to mobilize all partners and to put everyone behind a global response to deliver. Solidarity is self-interest," he stressed.
"Grasping that 21st-century truth is essential to end this crisis and emerge safer, smarter, and stronger together," he said, wrapping up his remarks.
Amid the devastation of COVID-19, science is offering solutions, in the form of new tests, therapeutics, and — hopefully — vaccines, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the UN World Health Organization (WHO), speaking alongside the secretary-general.
Science and solutions are, however, ineffective without solidarity, Tedros added.
The head of WHO explained that the ACT-Accelerator has already delivered "impressive results" in the form of making available 120 million new rapid tests for low- and middle-income countries and securing courses of dexamethasone. — UN news


Clic here to read the story from its source.