The European Union and the European Investment Bank made financial commitments at the global fundraising event co-hosted by GAVI - the Vaccine Alliance - and by Japan on Wednesday 2 June to accelerate access to 1.8 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine for low-income countries through the Covax Advance Market Commitment this year.
US$2.4 billion has been pledged by some 40 governments and the private sector, bringing the total pledged so far to US$9.6 billion.
Austria has pledged €2.6 million, Estonia €70,000, Finland €10 million, France €100 million, Luxembourg €1 million, Malta €40,000 and Spain €50 million.
The EIB has announced €300 million in funding to support African countries’ access to vaccines through the Covax cost-sharing scheme.
“The EU, together with the European Investment Bank, will redirect €300 million to Covax. This is Team Europe’s contribution to the AVATT-COVAX rapid cost-sharing financing scheme. This programme will help purchase vaccines in Africa. This will foster the links between Covax and the African Union”, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, quoted in an EIB press release from 3 June.
GAVI is largely funded by Bill Gates and chaired by former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)