WHO urgently asks for $ 7.7 billion to stop the “wave” of COVID-19 variants

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched an “urgent” appeal for $ 7.7 billion to stop the “wave” of dangerous variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and “saving lives around the world.”

“Many countries are experiencing new waves of infections And while many high-income countries and some upper-middle-income countries have implemented widespread immunization, they have put in place more robust screening systems and made treatments increasingly available, many low- and lower-middle-income countries struggle to access these vital tools due to lack of funds and supplies. Investing in the ACT-Accelerator so that the tools are accessible to anyone, anywhere, will benefit all countries through a more inclusive and coordinated response at the global level, ”said WHO in a statement.

Among his proposals, $ 2.4 billion would be spent putting all low and lower middle income countries on track to ten-fold COVID-19 testing and ensure that all countries meet satisfactory standards of evidence.

“This will dramatically improve local and global understanding of the evolving epidemiology of the disease and emerging variants of concern, inform the appropriate implementation of social and public health measures and break the chains of transmission,” he said. -he adds. defend.

Approximately $ 1 billion would be spent on R&D, further shaping the market and manufacturing, technical assistance and demand generation to ensure that tests, treatments and vaccines remain effective against the Delta variant and other emerging variants. , and that they are accessible and affordable where they are needed.

An additional $ 1.2 billion would be provided to quickly meet oxygen needs to treat critically ill people with COVID-19. and control the exponential increase in deaths caused by the Delta variant.

A total of $ 1.4 billion would be used to help countries identify and overcome key bottlenecks for the effective deployment and use of all COVID-19 tools. Finally, some $ 1.7 billion to equip two million health workers Essential personal protective equipment (PPE) is sufficient to keep them safe while caring for the sick, prevent the collapse of health systems where health workers are already understaffed and overworked, and prevent the spread of COVID -19.

“$ 7.7 billion urgently needed to fund ACT-Accelerator work to cope with the rise of the Delta variant and put the world on the path to ending the pandemic. This investment is only a tiny fraction of the amount governments are spending to fight COVID-19 and it makes ethical, economic and epidemiological sense. If these funds are not made available now to stop the transmission of Delta in the most vulnerable countries, we will certainly all pay the consequences later ”, underlined WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

(With information from Europa Press)

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