SEVERAL countries and foundations are set to pledge more than US$500 million (RM2 billion) today for a global pool aimed at ensuring equitable access to coronavirus tests, treatment and vaccines for all nations, organisers of a French forum said.

The third edition of the Paris Peace Forum, which seeks to address governance issues with concrete projects, takes place today and tomorrow in the French capital and is dedicated to finding ways to ease and get out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It takes place as the number of cases is rising rapidly across Europe and beyond.

It also comes just days after American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech reported highly promising results for their vaccine candidate, raising hopes globally.

During the forum, several countries are expected to announce funding for the so-called ACT-Accelerator, a mechanism led by the World Health Organisation that aims to ensure access to tests, treatments and vaccines for all.

According to a statement by organisers, France will be announcing a commitment of €100 million, Spain (€50 million) and the European Commission (€100 million) specifically for the vaccines part of ACT-A.

The British government is also set to declare a contribution of one additional pound for each US$4 announced.

Organisers added that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is also due to “announce an important commitment during the discussion”.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, will take part in an online discussion due to be streamed online.

In September, the United Nations estimated that the ACT-Accelerator had only received around US$3 billion of the US$38 billion needed to meet the goal of producing and delivering two billion vaccine doses, 245 million treatments and 500 million diagnostic tests over the next year. – AFP, November 12, 2020.