aid for other nations
Canada's Minister of International Development Gould speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa
By Reuters Staff
Mon, December 14, 2020
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada will spend C$485 million ($380 million) to support COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines in low- and middle-income countries, including antibody treatments, International Aid Minister Karina Gould said in a statement on Monday.
The funds will make it possible for the United Nations children's agency UNICEF buy up to 3 million courses of antibody treatments, pending approval.
Two such treatments have been authorized for emergency use in the United States: one from Eli Lilly and AbCellera and another from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
"This virus will not be fully eradicated until it's eradicated everywhere," the government said in the statement.
Funds will go to the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, an initiative that was launched by the World Health Organization and its partners, as well as to other global health organizations.
The Canadian government's announcement includes C$100 million for the WHO, C$45 million for the Pan-American Health Organization and C$75 million to the GAVI vaccine group, partly to fund "a mechanism to equitably reallocate vaccine doses."
Canada is preparing to administer its first doses of Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine.
The country has reserved enough COVID-19 doses to vaccinate its population several times over, if several leading vaccine projects succeed.
Huge purchases by rich nations have reduced the pool of doses available to countries that do not have such deep pockets, and to GAVI's COVAX facility, a group purchasing system meant to distribute doses equitably to most countries in the world.
Reuters, citing sources, reported in November that Canada was in talks to donate excess doses through COVAX. Canada has not yet made a public commitment to donate, or said what would be considered excess.
The funds should be allocated within weeks, a spokesman for Gould said.
By Reuters Staff
Mon, December 14, 2020
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada will spend C$485 million ($380 million) to support COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines in low- and middle-income countries, including antibody treatments, International Aid Minister Karina Gould said in a statement on Monday.
The funds will make it possible for the United Nations children's agency UNICEF buy up to 3 million courses of antibody treatments, pending approval.
Two such treatments have been authorized for emergency use in the United States: one from Eli Lilly and AbCellera and another from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
"This virus will not be fully eradicated until it's eradicated everywhere," the government said in the statement.
Funds will go to the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, an initiative that was launched by the World Health Organization and its partners, as well as to other global health organizations.
The Canadian government's announcement includes C$100 million for the WHO, C$45 million for the Pan-American Health Organization and C$75 million to the GAVI vaccine group, partly to fund "a mechanism to equitably reallocate vaccine doses."
Canada is preparing to administer its first doses of Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine.
The country has reserved enough COVID-19 doses to vaccinate its population several times over, if several leading vaccine projects succeed.
Huge purchases by rich nations have reduced the pool of doses available to countries that do not have such deep pockets, and to GAVI's COVAX facility, a group purchasing system meant to distribute doses equitably to most countries in the world.
Reuters, citing sources, reported in November that Canada was in talks to donate excess doses through COVAX. Canada has not yet made a public commitment to donate, or said what would be considered excess.
The funds should be allocated within weeks, a spokesman for Gould said.
Statement by UNICEF Canada's President and CEO David Morley on Canada's additional support for equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines
TORONTO, Dec. 14, 2020 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada today showed significant leadership in the world's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a welcome new commitment for COVID-19 tests, treatment and vaccines. This includes support for UNICEF to procure up to 3 million courses of novel COVID-19 antibody therapeutics as soon as clinical trials and regulatory approvals have been completed.
TORONTO, Dec. 14, 2020 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada today showed significant leadership in the world's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a welcome new commitment for COVID-19 tests, treatment and vaccines. This includes support for UNICEF to procure up to 3 million courses of novel COVID-19 antibody therapeutics as soon as clinical trials and regulatory approvals have been completed.
Nurse Lillian Nimaya, 45, fills a syringe with a vaccine at Nyakuron Primary Health Care Centre in Juba, South Sudan. (CNW Group/Canadian Unicef Committee)
UNICEF Canada welcomes the Government of Canada's new contributions to fight the global pandemic, and the critical support this will provide to over-burdened health systems in many developing countries. In the poorest areas of the world, COVID-19 is stretching capacity to respond to other major health concerns that threaten children's survival, including routine immunization and treatment of malnutrition.
Building on years of experience in providing vaccines for almost half of the world's children, UNICEF is leading efforts to procure and supply COVID-19 vaccines for 171 countries on behalf of the COVAX Facility. In 2021, UNICEF will deliver 2 billion vaccines, 245 million therapeutics and 500 million tests to low and middle-income countries in a safe and equitable way.
UNICEF is also working to support countries to 'ready' their immunization programs for this historic roll-out. This includes helping countries to strengthen their cold and supply chains, training health workers, and working with communities in addressing misinformation and building trust in vaccines and in the health systems that deliver lifesaving vaccines.
UNICEF is proud to contribute to the efforts of the ACT-Accelerator and COVAX Facility. By positioning itself as the second-largest financial supporter of the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, the Government of Canada has demonstrated that Canada understands that the global COVID-19 pandemic can only be defeated through a coordinated global response.
Canada's support to UNICEF and other global partners cooperating on the ACT-Accelerator is helping to ensure that, as vaccines become available, no country is pushed to the back of the line—recognizing that the whole world will remain vulnerable to the virus until countries with the weakest health systems are protected from it as well.
UNICEF Canada applauds Canada's decision to ensure the additional funding for COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccines does not come at the expense of much-needed funding for existing global priorities. With the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacting children's access to life-saving immunization and nutrition, as well as critical services to protect children from violence and ensure their education, Canada's commitment to existing global priorities must remain unwavering.
We look forward to further collaboration with the Government of Canada to provide the training and support to health systems that will protect and potentially save lives of frontline workers in low and middle-income countries and ensure that the children in those countries survive and thrive to fulfil their potential.
At UNICEF Canada, our top priority remains securing life-saving and life-changing investments and services in children. Supporting COVAX will mean helping put an end to a pandemic that creates serious threats to the most vulnerable children around the world.
SOURCE Canadian Unicef Committee
UNICEF Canada welcomes the Government of Canada's new contributions to fight the global pandemic, and the critical support this will provide to over-burdened health systems in many developing countries. In the poorest areas of the world, COVID-19 is stretching capacity to respond to other major health concerns that threaten children's survival, including routine immunization and treatment of malnutrition.
Building on years of experience in providing vaccines for almost half of the world's children, UNICEF is leading efforts to procure and supply COVID-19 vaccines for 171 countries on behalf of the COVAX Facility. In 2021, UNICEF will deliver 2 billion vaccines, 245 million therapeutics and 500 million tests to low and middle-income countries in a safe and equitable way.
UNICEF is also working to support countries to 'ready' their immunization programs for this historic roll-out. This includes helping countries to strengthen their cold and supply chains, training health workers, and working with communities in addressing misinformation and building trust in vaccines and in the health systems that deliver lifesaving vaccines.
UNICEF is proud to contribute to the efforts of the ACT-Accelerator and COVAX Facility. By positioning itself as the second-largest financial supporter of the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, the Government of Canada has demonstrated that Canada understands that the global COVID-19 pandemic can only be defeated through a coordinated global response.
Canada's support to UNICEF and other global partners cooperating on the ACT-Accelerator is helping to ensure that, as vaccines become available, no country is pushed to the back of the line—recognizing that the whole world will remain vulnerable to the virus until countries with the weakest health systems are protected from it as well.
UNICEF Canada applauds Canada's decision to ensure the additional funding for COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccines does not come at the expense of much-needed funding for existing global priorities. With the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacting children's access to life-saving immunization and nutrition, as well as critical services to protect children from violence and ensure their education, Canada's commitment to existing global priorities must remain unwavering.
We look forward to further collaboration with the Government of Canada to provide the training and support to health systems that will protect and potentially save lives of frontline workers in low and middle-income countries and ensure that the children in those countries survive and thrive to fulfil their potential.
At UNICEF Canada, our top priority remains securing life-saving and life-changing investments and services in children. Supporting COVAX will mean helping put an end to a pandemic that creates serious threats to the most vulnerable children around the world.
SOURCE Canadian Unicef Committee
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