Pandemic Action Network welcomes the leadership of President Biden and the United States Government in hosting today’s Global COVID-19 Summit. The purpose of today’s event was to secure commitments to take action on the Summit goals and targets. The Network thanks all of the leaders who joined and made commitments to achieve the Summit’s goals to get 70% of the population in every country vaccinated within 12 months, to step up efforts to deliver lifesaving oxygen, therapeutics, tests, and personal protective equipment to patients and health workers on the frontlines of the pandemic, and to scale up investments and strengthen the international system to ensure the world is better prepared to prevent, detect, and respond to future pandemic threats.
Among the new announcements today — that will serve as critical first steps toward the bolder, coordinated global action needed — include: The U.S. pledge to purchase and donate an additional 500 million Pfizer vaccine doses for low- and middle-income countries, bringing the total number of vaccines to be donated globally by the U.S. to 1.1 billion; the establishment of an EU-US task force to work together toward the 70% target, and EU commitment to ensure 1 in 2 doses produced in Europe will be exported to the rest of the world; U.S. commitment of US$345 million for the global COVID-19 response; U.S. plans to provide US$1 billion to establish a new fund for global health security; and new commitments by philanthropies Skoll Foundation (US$100 million) and Pax Sapiens (US$200 million) to bolster pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
Pandemic Action Network co-founder Eloise Todd said:
“The success of this Summit will be judged by what happens next. We urge leaders to use every tool at their disposal to map out where every country is right now, and what finances and logistics are needed to deliver jabs in arms faster, getting us over the line to 70% vaccination coverage in each country, while ensuring access for all for lifesaving tests, treatments, oxygen and PPE along the way. Piecemeal actions are no longer enough. This crisis demands not only commitment, but a coordinated global plan and leadership. To end the COVID-19 crisis in 2022, we need to do whatever it takes — and we will hold leaders to account to make it happen.”
Pandemic Action co-founder Carolyn Reynolds said:
“Today’s Summit was a critical reset of the world’s ambition to end this pandemic for all as quickly as possible, and to start making the necessary investments now to bolster our collective defenses to prevent the next deadly and costly pandemic from happening. But we are in a race against time. There has been a collective failure to date to solve this crisis and treat pandemics as the grave threat they are to global security. We need urgent, bold, and concrete action, and we need it now. We welcome President Biden’s plan to host another summit early next year to make sure the world is on track to achieve the Summit goals and targets. We stand ready to work with all leaders to ensure that this Summit leaves a legacy to pandemic proof the world once and for all.”
In advance of today’s Summit, Pandemic Action Network brought more than 60 groups together around a common position on what’s needed to end this crisis. At today’s Summit, on behalf of our Network, we committed to two things:
1. On the COVID-19 response, we will work with our partners and with leaders to ensure the commitments made today are delivered through a global action plan to do whatever it takes to fully vaccinate 70% of the population in every country in less than 12 months — and at least 40% by the end of this year.
To get there, we must dramatically ramp up support now for vaccine donations, manufacturing, and delivery; development and deployment of testing and treatments, oxygen and PPE; and a strong frontline health workforce to reach the most vulnerable communities.
2. To build back better, we commit to help mobilize the political support and resources necessary to establish a new fund for global health security and a new Global Health Threats Council. We will convene and tap the deep expertise and capabilities in our Network across sectors to inform their design and ensure they are inclusive, accountable, and sustainably funded, commensurate with the threat.
