G20 announces $21 billion in coronavirus funding
As the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus continues to grow globally, the countries of the G20 pledged in a statement on Saturday to allocate more than $21 billion to fight the pandemic.
In its statement, the G20 said that the allocated funding will be used towards the procurement and development of diagnostic tools, vaccines, treatments, and research and development work.
Saudi Arabia, which currently chairs the group, has pledged nearly $1 billion to support global pandemic control efforts through funding the work of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI), and other relevant international and regional health organizations and programs.
In related news, AstraZeneca has found that its leukemia treatment drug Kalquins has shown positive preliminary results in treating coronavirus patients.