G20 leaders urged to provide urgent funds for covid-19 vaccines, drugs, tests

G20 leaders holding a virtual summit this weekend must help close a funding gap to buy vaccines, drugs and tests to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, a letter from South Africa’s president, Norway’s prime minister, the WHO chief and the European Commission President said.

The letter, seen by Reuters, said: “A commitment by G20 leaders at the G20 summit in Riyadh to invest substantially in the ACT (Access to COVID-19 Tools) Accelerator’s immediate funding gap of US $4.5 billion will immediately save lives, lay the groundwork for mass procurement and delivery of COVID-19 tools around the world, and provide an exit strategy out of this global economic and human crisis.”