UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that overcoming the coronavirus pandemic will require the most massive public health effort in history since it is an interconnected world where “none of us is safe until all of us are safe”.
His remarks came as the world leaders on Monday pledged 7.4billion euros (approximately USD 8.2 billion) to support the research anddevelopment for medicines to fight the COVID-19 which has so far killed over2.5 lakh people and infected more than 3.6 million globally.
Leaders from 40 countries came together to support the ACTAccelerator through the COVID-19 Global Response International Pledging Event,hosted by the European Commission.
About 7.4 billion euros was pledged for the research anddevelopment for vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
Guterres pointed to the last month’s launch of the landmarkeffort initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a range of leadingcountries to speed up the scientific breakthrough needed to get the coronavirusunder control, known as the ACT Accelerator.
He welcomed the contribution and the launch of the ACTAccelerator – a landmark global collaboration to speed up the development,production and equitable access to new COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics andvaccines.
The UN chief said these new tools can help the world fullycontrol the pandemic, and must be treated as global public goods available andaffordable for all.
“Comprehensive, coordinated public health measures are criticalto slow transmission and to save lives. But even countries that have taken suchsteps remain in jeopardy. And the virus is still likely to strike manycountries that are least able to cope. In an interconnected world, none of usis safe until all of us are safe,” he said.
Addressing the European Union pledging conference inBrussels, Guterres said that the “most massive public health effort in history”is needed to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 has “spread to every corner of the world,infecting more than three million people and claiming more than 220,000 lives,”Guterres said in his comments which came following a warning in recent daysabout the lack of sufficient solidarity with the developing countries – both inequipping them to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which risks spreading likewildfire – and to address its dramatic economic and social impacts.
“We have a common vision. Let us now put people firsteverywhere,” the UN chief added.
Apart from the European Commission which organised Monday’s event on behalf of the EU, countries involved in the overall effort include South Africa, Rwanda, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Finland and Costa Rica. Neither of the two largest economies, the US or China, have so far joined the ACT Accelerator drive. PTI