Coronavirus Covid-19: a fund-raising marathon starting today for a “global response” to the pandemic. Target number one: 7.5 billion euros

“We must bring the world, its leaders, the people who live in it all together in the fight against coronavirus”. With these words, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission (in the photo, the Brussels HQ), launched a fund-raising initiative called “Coronavirus Global Response”. The World Health Organisation and other organisations working internationally in healthcare joined a few days ago in a call for action “to quickly provide fair access to high-quality, safe, effective and affordable diagnostic, therapeutic and immunisation tools against coronavirus”. From today, to financially support the initiative, the European Union and its partners will be organising a worldwide fund-raising marathon, “calling States and organisations all over the world to pledge funds and help reach the first funding target of 7.5 billion euros”. “All over the world, researchers and innovators are busily working to find solutions that can save human lives and protect everybody’s health – a notice from the European Commission says –. As from 4th May, the European Commission will record the funds pledged by States and private foundations. On that same day, it will announce the next steps in a worldwide campaign, aimed to kick-start an ongoing rolling replenishment”.
Valentina Bombelli