The money is to be used to vaccinate 300 million children in the world's poorest countries against diseases such as polio, typhoid and measles. But it's also about how a future coronavirus vaccine can be made available to people around the world.
London (AP) - At a global online donor conference organized by the Gavi vaccine alliance, commitments on the equivalent of around 6.6 billion euros for vaccination programs are to be collected on Thursday.
The money will be used to vaccinate 300 million children in the world's poorest countries over the next five years. It is primarily about diseases such as polio, typhoid and measles.
The conference also addresses the question of how a future coronavirus vaccine can be made available to people around the world. The aid organization Doctors Without Borders said on Wednesday that pharmaceutical companies should be obliged to disclose their production costs. "There must be affordable prices for everyone and an objective and fair global distribution mechanism that all governments and Gavi adhere to," said Marco Alves of the organization.
"Support for routine vaccinations will help poorer health systems focus on the coronavirus," said Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a press conference in London on Wednesday evening. This will also help protect the UK from a second wave of cornavirus infections, the prime minister said.
The British government is hosting the summit. In addition to Johnson, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US billionaire Bill Gates will also speak. Chancellor Angela Merkel will also take part in the online conference, the British embassy in Berlin said on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, several non-governmental organizations have asked the federal government to increase its contribution. Instead of 600, 700 million euros are needed, it said in a message from Wednesday. In low-income countries, millions of children lack protection from preventable diseases. Because of the pandemic, the number of routine vaccinations has already dropped significantly.
Signatories to the call include the organizations Action Alliance against AIDS, German Foundation for World Population (DSW), Global Citizen, ONE, Plan International Germany, Save the Children and World Vision Germany.
With a commitment of £ 1.65 billion (around € 1.85 billion), the UK says it is the largest Gavi donor.
Program of the Gavi vaccination summit
