The WHO asks for 23.400 million dollars to “avoid another 5 million deaths by COVID-19”

The World Health Organization (WHO) today asked the international community to contribute 23.4 billion dollars to its program for the distribution of vaccines and other tools against COVID-19, a game with which, he affirmed, the death of up to 5 million people can be avoided.

That funding, that WHO calculates that it needs its ACT Accelerator (short for “Access to Tools against COVID”) over the next 12 months, it can also save the world some losses due to the health crisis of about 5.3 trillion dollars, as well as “accelerate the end of the pandemic, “he said in a statement.

The pandemic has so far caused 4.9 million deaths on the planet, although the WHO warns that the figure could double to 10 million next year if the unequal distribution of vaccines and other weapons against COVID persists.

With the money requested, the ACT Accelerator pursues the objective of increasing the distribution of vaccines in its COVAX program, but also facilitating the availability of diagnostic tests, treatments and protective equipment, especially in developing countries.

The WHO Remember that for now only 0.5% of vaccines and 0.4% of tests have been distributed in low-income countries, whose population represents 9% of the world total.

“To end the pandemic, governments, manufacturers and donors must fully fund the ACT Accelerator, thereby reducing inequalities in access to COVID vaccines, tests and treatments,” stressed the general director of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The 23,400 million required are according to the WHO little compared to the trillions of dollars in losses the world is estimated to have suffered from the pandemic.

With the budgeted funds, the ACT Accelerator hopes to support vaccination programs in 91 developing countries in order to achieve the global goal of vaccinating 70% of the world’s population by the middle of next year.

It also seeks that 120 million patients in low- and middle-income countries have access to treatment, including those that require oxygen, and that 2.7 million health workers in those economies have the necessary personal protective equipment.

Since its inception last year, the ACT Accelerator has distributed more than 425 million vaccines in 144 countries through the COVAX program, as well as 128 million diagnostic tests.

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