Europe Minister confirms France’s commitment to COVID-19 ACT-A initiative [fr]

Paris, 10 September 2020

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Clément Beaune, Minister of State for European Affairs attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, attended today’s inaugural Facilitation Council meeting of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) initiative, together with the President of the European Commission, the presidents of South Africa and Rwanda, the Norwegian Prime Minister, the health and foreign ministers of the other Council member countries, and the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).

ACT-A’s goal of an equitable global distribution of diagnostics, treatments and a future vaccine, and the strengthening of healthcare systems, is crucial to protecting populations. It is vital to global solidarity as well as health security – without universal access, we will continually face new waves. President Macron therefore issued a call to make the future COVID-19 vaccine a global public good to guarantee equal, universal access to all. That is the fight France and its European partners are engaged in.

To combat the COVID-19 pandemic on a global scale, on 24 April ACT-A was launched at the joint initiative of the French President, the EU, Germany and WHO. France is contributing to its goals with a commitment of €510 million and reaffirms its support for this initiative, which represents a strong multilateral response to an unprecedented global health crisis. ACTA-A brings together all the major actors in the global health arena around an ambitious common goal: the development, production, and equitable and universal distribution of diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines for COVID-19 and support for countries’ healthcare systems.

France welcomes the leadership and coordination of WHO, the only universal health organization, along with Unitaid’s major contribution for diagnostic tests and treatments. The Minister of State confirmed France’s policy commitment to support and promote ACT-A and its combined effort on tests, treatments, vaccines, and healthcare systems based on solid scientific expertise. (…)./.

Source: uk.ambafrance.org