Biden Convenes Global COVID-19 Summit, Sets Ambitious Goals to End Pandemic

On Wednesday, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. convened heads of state and leaders from international organizations, the private sector, philanthropic organizations, non-governmental entities, and others for the “Global COVID-19 Summit: Ending the Pandemic and Building Back Better.” As part of the summit, President Biden called on leaders to elevate global efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022 and bolster global health security to prevent and prepare for future pandemics.

During the summit, global leaders coalesced around a set of ambitious global targets across the four following themes:

• Vaccinate the World by enhancing equitable access to vaccines and administering vaccines

• Save Lives Now by solving the oxygen crisis and making tests, therapeutics, and personal protective equipment (PPE) widely available

• Build Back Better by preparing in all countries, establishing a sustainable health security financing mechanism, and demonstrating political leadership in preventing and preparing for future pandemics

• Calling the World to Account by aligning around common global targets, tracking progress, and supporting one another in fulfilling commitments

President Biden announced several new U.S. commitments to accelerate progress in achieving the established targets. The U.S. will donate an additional half-billion Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to low- and lower-middle income countries around the globe with shipments beginning in January 2022. Additionally, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) plan to provide an additional $370 million for global vaccine readiness and capacity to facilitate vaccine administration.

Additional information on the Global COVID-19 Summit is available here.