Reportedly governments around the world had pledged $8.8 billion for global vaccines alliance Gavi to help immunization programs disrupted by coronavirus, prompting calls for global cooperation to ensure a potential COVID-19 vaccine is available to all. The online meeting beat a target to raise $7.4 billion to provide vaccines at a much reduced cost to 300 million children worldwide over the next five years.
Accordingly more than 50 countries took part as well as individuals such as billionaire philanthropist bill gates, whose foundation pledged $1.6 billion. Gavi also launched a new initiative to purchase potential COVID-19 vaccines, scale-up production and support delivery to developing nations, which raised $567 million in seed money. british prime minister Boris Johnson, who hosted the summit "Together, we rise to fulfil the greatest shared endeavor of our lifetimes the triumph of humanity over disease”.
Scientists around the world are racing to develop and test a coronavirus vaccine and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it must be available to everyone. The pandemic has exposed new ruptures in international cooperation, notably with US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the World health Organization (WHO). If a vaccine is developed, microsoft founder Gates said Gavi hoped to be able to buy it for the poorest countries. He said pharmaceutical companies had been working together to try to secure the required production capacity.
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