The director-general of the United Nations on Monday called for a united, international push to develop a COVID-19 vaccination, as well as testing kits, that could be available and distributed to people at an affordable price.
Nations around the world are racing to develop a coronavirus vaccine, with some studies in the U.S. and elsewhere showing positive results. But experts have warned that a vaccine may not be available for another six months or more.
“These new tools will help us to fully control the pandemic and must be treated as global public goods available and affordable for all,” Antonio Guterres, U.N. secretary-general, said during a global pledging conference. The meeting aims to fundraise at least $8 billion for the coronavirus fight, according to Reuters.
Speaking at the same event, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the U.N.-backed World Health Organization said that “none of us can accept a world in which some people are protected while others remain exposed.”
“The ultimate measure of success will not be how fast we can develop tools,” he continued. “It will be how equally we can distribute them.”
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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