World leaders joined forces on April 15 at the “One World Protected” event to take stock of progress in global efforts to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and seek ways to further accelerate vaccination. The event, hosted by US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Acting Administrator of USAID Gloria Steele, and Chair of the Board of Gavi José Manuel Barroso, was joined by more than 200 participants, including leaders from government, business, civil society, and partner organizations across the globe.
In a vital step on the path to providing global protection against COVID-19, a new Investment Opportunity was unveiled, launching a campaign to raise an additional $US 2 billion from donors and the private sector for the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC). With this funding, the COVAX mechanism can lock in up to 1.8 billion vaccine doses for people at risk in 92 lower-income economies and accelerate coverage. The campaign will also aim to mobilize $US 1 billion in cost-sharing from countries through domestic resource mobilization and the support of multilateral development banks (MDBs).
Secretary Blinken and Acting USAID Administrator Steele, hosts of the meeting, confirmed that the United States considers COVAX a critical instrument to ensure a coordinated global response. President Biden decided to join COVAX as one of the first acts of his new Administration, and the United States has become the single largest contributor to the Gavi COVAX AMC. The United States will continue to encourage world leaders to join in the effort.
“This isn’t just an opportunity – it’s an imperative,” said Secretary of State Blinken. “From day one, President Biden has made stopping COVID-19 the top priority of the Biden-Harris administration. And ensuring broad and equitable access to vaccines is an essential part of achieving that goal. To that end, the U.S. government contributed $2 billion to Gavi in support of COVAX in March – the largest donation COVAX has ever received. And we’ll contribute an additional $2 billion to this effort through 2022 because people everywhere should have access to rigorously tested, safe, and effective COVID-19 vaccines. And because we recognize that as long as COVID is spreading and replicating anywhere, it poses a threat to people everywhere.”
Acting Administrator of USAID Gloria Steele noted, “The rapid spread of COVID-19 and its emerging variants demonstrates that no nation can act alone in a global pandemic. Vaccinating as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, is the only way to reduce the tragic loss of life, end the pandemic, and move us toward economic and social recovery.”
The campaign will culminate in June 2021, where world leaders will meet again at the Gavi COVAX AMC Summit, hosted by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi, taking note of the upcoming milestone, remarked, “Today, we are pleased to announce that Japan will co-host the “Gavi AMC Summit” with Gavi in June. The supply of vaccines and funding are still insufficient, and there is an urgent need to further strengthen the COVAX facility to ensure equitable access to safe, effective, and quality-assured vaccines to people in developing countries.”
