WHO needs USD 1.3Bn to fund second phase of COVID-19 response

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The World Health Organisation needs USD 1.3 billion (4 trillion Shillings) to meet its COVID-19 second response plans for 2020. The money is needed to ensure that the agency can provide testing kits, masks, medical gowns, gloves, face shields and other essential medical equipment needed in the fight against COVID-19.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebryesus is optimistic that the funding will cover the organisation’s COVID-19 response for the rest of the year.

The second phase of the response initially required USD 1.7 billion according to Dr Ghebreyesus. However, donations from partners have offset the figure to now stand at USD 1.3 billion.

In March and April, the UN agency launched the solidarity fund and concert that was aimed at raising funds to support the organization’s support to countries. Both avenues have raised more than USD 350 million. The money from the campaigns according to WHO has been used to provide logistic support to countries in the form of delivering test kits and personal protective equipment to countries that need assistance.

Dr Ghebreyesus says the next phase of the organization’s response plan will focus on global and regional coordination to offer support to member states.

To date, over 99 percent of all WHO member states have reported COVID-19  cases. The global figure of the infected persons according to the John Hopkins COVID-19 resource centre stands at 3.9 million.

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