According to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), its effort to produce safe and effective vaccines within 100 days of an identified epidemic or pandemic threat has garnered $1.535 billion from world governments and organizations.
The 100 Days Mission is a five-year plan developed by CEPI to counter disease threats and end their damage to lives and the global economy. More than 20 countries, along with leaders from private industry, science and academia, philanthropy, and more, sent representatives to a Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit this week to address the plan. By the end, the Japanese government had pledged $300 million, and the U.K. ($211 million), Norway ($111 million), U.S. ($150 million), Germany ($87 million), Australia ($74 million), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ($154 million) and Wellcome ($150 million) all asserted themselves as top donors as well.
“This summit shows what can be achieved when countries work together. I welcome the news we have raised over $1.5 billion to help cut vaccine development times and boost vaccine manufacturing around the world,” U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said. “This will fund work to save millions of lives, prevent trillions of pounds in economic damage and ensure the world comes out of this pandemic stronger for the future.”
The main goal of the 100 Days Mission is to reduce risks through the development of vaccines for known disease threats such as Lassa fever, MERS, and Nipah virus and coupling them with scientific advances made during the COVID-19 pandemic to prepare for more unknown threats with pandemic potential, also known as Disease X.
“For the first time in history, we have the tools we need to eliminate the risk of future pandemics,” Dr. Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said. “It is vital that we capitalise on the scientific developments we’ve seen over the last two years and seize the rare alignment of political will, practical experience, and technical and scientific progress emerging from the pandemic to prevent such devastation happening again. The support and funding pledged today will kick-start CEPI’s plan to end pandemics. This is the start of an incredibly important journey.”
Compressing timelines is a huge focus, but so is the development of the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines, including variant-proof, broad-acting COVID-19 vaccines. Overall, CEPI seeks to raise $3.5 billion over the next five years for these efforts. With $1.5 billion at hand, it’s more than halfway there.
“Thanks to CEPI, Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF, we managed to deliver more than 353 million vaccines to over 192 million Indonesians in 13 months,” said Budi Sadikin, Minister of Health for Indonesia, which holds the 2022 G20 presidency. “That’s why we believe that we have to work together, and Indonesia is ready to commit to CEPI. Our commitment to the greater good, to leaving no one behind, and to better preparing the world against the next pandemic begins now.”