In a move designed to curb COVID-19 infections worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) is leading an effort to provide pills to treat the disease for underdeveloped nations.
Reuters reported that the WHO has outlined several goals in the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), including the delivery of more than 1 billion tests, 1 billion vaccines to underdeveloped nations and secure medications to treat more than 100 million patients.
Forbes reported that WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 1.5 billion vaccine doses are being made each month, meaning scarcity isn’t a problem.
“This is not a supply problem,” he said, according to Forbes. “It’s an allocation problem.”
In addition to vaccines, the program is seeking drugs for treatment of patients with COVID-19. According to CNBC, molnupiravir, an experimental drug by Merch, could be one of the drugs. Other drugs are in development to treat mild cases of COVID-19, according to the news outlet.
Forbes noted that the program hasn’t named the pill it intends to purchase, though the Merck drug seems to meet its requirements.
Forbes also reported that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged up to $120 million to increase access of the Merck drug to poorer nations. Melinda French Gates, who co-chairs the foundation, said access to medications and other health products can help end the pandemic, and everyone, regardless of where they live in the world, should have access to the drugs needed to save their lives.
“The unjust reality, however, is that low-income countries have had to wait for everything from personal protective equipment to vaccines,” she told Forbes. “That is unacceptable.”
CNBC, citing a spokesperson for the ACT-A, noted the document is a draft and is still being finalized. CNBC also noted that the document likely would be finalized and sent to global leaders prior to the G20 summit, scheduled to be held later this month in Rome.
According to CNBC, the ACT-A is seeking $22.8 in funding and will seek support from the G20 nations as well as other donors. The money is needed to purchase and distribute tests, vaccines and drugs for poorer nations in an effort to close the gap that exists between developed and underdeveloped nations.
To date, more than $18 million has been pledged to the effort, according to CNBC.
According to Reuters, the program also hopes to increase testing in poorer countries by investing in diagnostics to increase the number of tests carried out.
Moreover, the program hopes meet medical oxygen needs of more than 6 million severe and critical patients in these regions, according to Reuters.