Harris says US to contribute $250M to World Bank Pandemic Fund

Washington, Sep 22 (Sputnik) US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Wednesday during remarks at the Virtual Global COVID-19 Summit that the US is prepared to give at least $250 million to a pandemic preparedness fund through the World Bank to strengthen the global response to future biological threats.
“The work to end this pandemic and prepare for the next is a strategic imperative. It is essential to our security and to our shared prosperity, and it will save countless lives. However, at this moment, we must also agree that our world is not fully prepared to prevent, to detect, and to respond to future biological threats,” Harris said. “And so, the United States joins the call for a new Financial Intermediary Fund at the World Bank, which will help us bring together new resources for pandemic preparedness. And today, I am proud to announce that we – the United States – are prepared to contribute at least $250 million to help get this fund started.”
The announcement at the summit, which took place amid other high-level meetings on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, is one of several pandemic-related commitments recently announced by the Biden administration.
President Joe Biden announced during remarks earlier in the summit on Wednesday that the US is committed to providing $1.4 billion for bulk oxygen support, testing and strengthening healthcare systems, $380 million for the Global Vaccine Alliance, and $370 for global vaccine administration efforts.