UN chief urges G20 to fill financing gap of 28 bn USD

United Nations, Nov 18 : United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the Group of 20 (G20) countries to fill the financing gap of 28 billion US dollars needed to fund the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-Accelerator) and its COVAX facility.
In a letter to G20 leaders before they meet on November 21, the UN Secretary-General said that “as we tackle this unprecedented pandemic, the world needs unprecedented leadership that is united in its quest to respond to the crisis and recover better,” Xinhua reported.
ACT-Accelerator, or the Global Collaboration to Accelerate the Development, Production and Equitable Access to New Covid-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, is a G20 initiative announced by pro-tem Chair Mohammed al-Jadaan on April 24.
Guterres said that recent positive early results on Covid-19 vaccine trials “have added a new sense of urgency to the need for equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.” “It is also vital to invest in health systems accessible to all, including through Universal Health Coverage,” he added.
On extreme poverty, the UN chief said that an additional 115 million people are at risk of falling into extreme poverty and acute hunger could almost double, affecting the lives of more than a quarter of a billion people.