Geneva – Unitaid welcomes contribution of C$15 million (US$11.7 million) from Canada to its ongoing work on COVID-19 therapeutics and diagnostics under the global Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.

The funding, which forms part of a C$255 million overall package of support to the ACT-Accelerator, has been allocated to Unitaid to support equitable access to promising COVID-19 treatments and tests.

This important contribution to the ACT-A Therapeutics Pillar will be used to expand and adapt the portfolio of fit-for-purpose monoclonal antibodies for low- and middle-income countries, and address issues of supply, affordability and uptake of care.

Canada has also announced funding of C$230 million to procure monoclonal antibodies for low- and middle-income countries. This investment from Canada will ensure that should the treatment prove effective, it will reach low-resource countries at the same time as high-income ones.

Unitaid Executive Director Philippe Duneton said: “Unitaid commends Canada for its commitment to the principle of making treatments and tests for COVID-19 available to everyone who needs them. This contribution to Unitaid will help us make those principles a reality.”

Unitaid welcomes contribution of C$15 million (US$11.7 million) from Canada to the ongoing work on #COVID19 therapeutics under the global Access to Covid-19 Tools #ACTAccelerator @GovCanHealth @CanadaDev https://t.co/3uXpxIbTWJ pic.twitter.com/llgoJ35Jcs

— Unitaid (@UNITAID) December 16, 2020

Media contact:  

Hervé Verhoosel | +44 7729 618634 | verhooselh@unitaid.who.int