WHO Launches the ACT Accelerator Initiative

The WHO recently launched the ‘Access to COVID-19 Tools’ Accelerator initiative to help in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

ACT Accelerator

The ACT (Access to COVID-19 Tools) Accelerator is a time limited collaborative effort by WHO and other stakeholders to enable equitable access of essential COVID-19 health technologies to all the countries. The initiative seeks to raise 8 billion USD to help the development of diagnostics, therapeutics and treatment.

Objectives

• Equitable global access to new tools for fighting COVID-19.
• Proactively engaging stakeholders, aligning and coordinating efforts, building on existing collaborations, devising solutions, ensuring transparency and grounding in science.
• Creating an action oriented platform for collective decision making.
• Building on past experiences with the interest of those communities that were hit the hardest in mind.
• Ensure accountability in the effort against COVID-19.

Members

Health actors like BMGF, CEPI, Gavi, Global Fund, UNITAID and Wellcome Trust are already part of the initial group. Countries like France, South Africa, Rwanda, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Finland and Costa Rica have joined the initiative. Private players like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have joined in. Already 2 billion USD of the targeted 8 billion USD have been achieved.