France will be contributing an additional 50 million euros ($59 million) to the World Health Organization and another 100 million euros to the COVAX facility toward supporting the development of a safe vaccine and its subsequent fair distribution, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2020) France will be contributing an additional 50 million Euros ($59 million) to the World Health Organization and another 100 million euros to the COVAX facility toward supporting the development of a safe vaccine and its subsequent fair distribution, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.
"The fight has just started and we need to mobilize even more. Financial mobilization first � securing a necessary amount of money to face this challenge. I have a pleasure to announce today that France will contribute around 100 million euros to COVAX once a vaccine is available. It is essential for the developing states to also be able to quickly benefit from the vaccine. France is also engaged to give another 50 million euros to the WHO," Macron said at a panel on COVID-19 vaccines at the Paris Peace Forum.
COVAX is a component of the WHO-backed ACT Accelerator facility whose aim is to bring together and make equitably accessible all global developments in the diagnostics, treatment and vaccines against COVID-19. The COVAX facility is responsible for the vaccines.
COVAX is co-led by the Gavi vaccine alliance, the WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
