Washington [US], October 20: Concluding its second funding round, the Pandemic Fund's Governing Board approved US$418 million in new grants designed to bolster pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) capacities in 40 countries across six geographical regions.
These grants will provide much-needed investments to strengthen disease surveillance and early warning systems, upgrading laboratories, and building health workforce. This latest allocation is in addition to the US$128.89 million approved on 19th September for five fast-tracked projects to support 10 countries impacted by the mpox Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), bringing the total funding awarded under the second round to US$547 million, which will mobilize an additional US$4 billion for investments in PPR in benefiting countries.
Over 50 percent of the funds awarded under the second round are for countries in sub-Saharan Africa - the region with the highest demand for Pandemic Fund grants. Over 74 percent of the funded projects will benefit low- and lower-middle income countries. These new investments advance the Pandemic Fund's objectives to mobilize additional, dedicated resources for pandemic PPR, incentivize countries to increase their own investments, and enhance coordination.
"With this new round of investments, the Pandemic Fund has once again demonstrated its vital role to mobilise additional financing and promote international collaboration to make the world safer from pandemics," said Pandemic Fund co-chairs Dr. Chatib Basri, former Minister of Finance of Indonesia, and Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Minister of Health, Rwanda. "We commend the efforts of The Pandemic Fund's Technical Advisory Panel and Governing Board to ensure that the selection process was inclusive and transparent, and that the selected projects comprise a quality, balanced portfolio of investments that address critical country needs. We urge global leaders to recapitalise the Pandemic Fund now so that it can continue to support more countries and close other critical preparedness gaps.
The Pandemic Fund's two rounds of funding to date amount to US$885 million, mobilizing an additional US$6 billion in support of 75 countries, half of which are low- and middle-income countries. These funds will fill capacity gaps to prevent, prepare for, and respond to pandemics.
Source: Emirates News Agency