World leaders and organizations came together virtually this week and pledged $8 billion to research, manufacture and distribute a possible vaccine and treatments for the new coronavirus.
The funding pledge comes as the number of people infected with COVID-19 worldwide was more than 3.7 million with over 258,000 killed, according to a Reuters tally.
Health authorities are working to turn the page on the fractious and haphazard initial global response to the coronavirus crisis. Many leaders stressed that any treatment or vaccine must be available to everyone. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it should not just be for rich countries.
“We can’t just have the wealthiest countries, the most successful scientific countries, have this success and not share it with the world, because we will not be safer until we’re able to share it with the world,” he said.
Related discussion: Mental health, stress and resiliency during the coronavirus pandemic
As part of our weekly series taking your questions to the experts, The World’s Jonathan Dyer moderated a discussion with Dr. Barry Bloom, the Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health and former dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who addressed the current thinking about possible COVID-19 treatments.
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us raise $67,000 by the end of the year and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer to our goal!