Oxfam International on Monday 30 March called for a $160 billion plan for immediate debt cancellation and assistance to developing countries to fund a global public health plan to respond to the coronavirus, which could prevent millions of deaths.
The NGO calculates that doubling health spending in the 85 poorest countries, home to nearly half of the world's population, would cost $159.5 billion.
“Without urgent, ambitious and historic action, we could easily see the biggest humanitarian crisis since World War Two,” the organisation said.
It calls for an action plan based on : - huge investment in prevention through the promotion of public health, access for humanitarian workers and the provision of clean water and sanitation; - 10 million new paid and protected health workers, as well as emergency equipment for local responders and humanitarians; - free health care, including tests and treatments; - the requisitioning by all governments of all health care capacity in their countries, including private institutions, to focus on the fight against the virus while covering other essential healthcare needs; - a global agreement to ensure that vaccines and treatments are quickly made available free of charge to all those who need them. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)