7.5 billion euros (8 billion dollars) in grants are expected at the global donor videoconference organised by the EU, WHO and the private sector on Monday 4 May to fill the immediate funding gap for a Covid-19 vaccine, treatment and diagnostics accessible to all people worldwide (see EUROPE 12474/7, 12467/8).
This initiative, announced by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the last G20 meeting, will be launched on Monday at 3 p.m. But this will only be the beginning of a long process, said a senior EU official on Thursday 30 April.
The event will be co-chaired by France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway and Saudi Arabia, as the Presidency-in-Office of the G20.
Of the €7.5 billion, €4 billion is earmarked for a vaccine, €2 billion for treatments and €1.5 billion for diagnostic tests. "We are in this for the long haul. Funding efforts will continue over the months and years to come", explained a senior official.
Ursula von der Leyen is expected to propose a cooperative framework consisting of three public/private partnerships, each bringing together scientists, the pharmaceutical industry and regulators. One would be on vaccines, with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) as leaders, responsible for developing the program; the other on diagnostics; the third on treatments, with the Therapeutic Accelerator as the leader.
"This would not be a new structure, but a framework to align efforts, to mobilise more resources", the senior official explained. This would be orchestrated at the global stewardship level by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, to which the three partnerships would report. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)