WHO Launches USD 675 million Donation Fund to Fight the Deadly Coronavirus
- The World Health Organization has called for USD 675 million in donation for its newly launched preparedness and response plan titled Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) for the new coronavirus, to fight further spread of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in China and globally.
- The SPRP has been launched for a period of three months covering the months of February-April 2020.
- Of the total fund, USD 60 million would be for WHO operations while the remainder would go to countries requiring assistance to guard against the deadly virus.
- The objectives of the plan are to limit human-to-human transmission of the virus, particularly in countries most vulnerable if they were to face an outbreak; identify, isolate and care for patients early; communicate critical risk and event information; minimize social and economic impact; reduce virus spread from animal sources; and address crucial unknowns.
- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced USD 100 million donation for virus testing, treatment and vaccine research.