KING COUNTY, Wash. — The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced Wednesday it will expand funding for the universal response to the coronavirus.
According to a release, the foundation plans to increase its funding by $150 million.
The foundation is calling on world leaders to unite regarding the pandemic, ensuring proper access to diagnostics, treatments and vaccines.
“It is increasingly clear that the world’s response to this pandemic will not be effective unless it is also equitable,” said Gates Foundation co-chair Melinda Gates. “We have a responsibility to meet this global crisis with global solidarity. In addition to contributing to the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, these funds will support efforts against COVID-19 in low-and-middle-income countries, where local leaders and healthcare workers are doing heroic work to protect vulnerable communities and slow the spread of the disease.”
The funding will also help strengthen support for African and South Asian health systems, mitigating the social and economic effects of the virus.
The foundation’s new pledge will add to the already $100 million that has been committed and the $5 million in resources to support public health agencies and those organizations on the front lines in the Seattle area.
“COVID-19 doesn’t obey border laws. Even if most countries succeed in slowing the disease over the next few months, the virus could return if the pandemic remains severe enough elsewhere,” said foundation co-chair Bill Gates. “The world community must understand that so long as COVID-19 is somewhere, we need to act as if it were everywhere. Beating this pandemic will require an unprecedented level of international funding and cooperation.”
The foundation has identified four priority areas for investment of the funds:
- Accelerating Virus Detection
- Protecting the Most Vulnerable
- Minimizing Social and Economic Impact
- Develop Products for a Sustained Response