Norway donates USD 340 million to the ACT-Accelerator

WHO Director-General welcomed contributions from Norway and Sweden

Photo: Colourbox
The ACT-Accelerator partnership was launched in 2020 by the WTO and partners to quickly develop tools to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

MARIT FOSSE
Geneva

Since April 2020, the ACT-Accelerator partnership, launched by WHO and partners, has supported the fastest, most coordinated, and successful global effort in history to develop tools to fight a disease. With significant advances in research and development by academia, private sector and government initiatives, the ACT-Accelerator is on the cusp of securing a way to end the acute phase of the pandemic by deploying the tests, treatments and vaccines the world needs.

Contributions of USD 340 million from Norway and USD 300 million from Sweden will accelerate efforts to get vaccines into arms, facilitate access to new treatments and ensure health systems can meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Norway and Sweden join Germany in having exceeded their fair share for ACT-A’s 2021/22 budget, with Canada pledging to do the same. ‘Fair share’ calculations are based on the size of a country’s national economy and what it would gain from a faster recovery of the global economy and trade.

In February 2022, President Ramaphosa of South Africa and Prime Minister Støre of Norway – in their roles as co-chairs of the ACT-Accelerator Facilitation Council – made a call to 55 countries to jointly support global efforts to end the COVID-19 crisis and contribute their ‘fair share’ to the ACT-Accelerator agencies’ urgent needs.

These contributions from Norway and Sweden reinforce the strong support that both countries have provided to the ACT-Accelerator since its inception in 2020.

The ACT-Accelerator now faces a funding gap of USD 11.2 billion, having received contributions totaling USD 5.6 billion for the 2021/22 budget.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “I wish to commend Norway and Sweden for their commitment towards the vital work of the ACT-Accelerator. We call on other countries to follow their lead in contributing their fair share, and get COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments to those who need them most. We have made tremendous progress in reducing mortality and transmission. But cases are still on the rise in 110 countries. Our job is not over. We must ensure that all countries are equipped to fight future waves of COVID-19.”

To subscribe to The Norwegian American, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.