Middle East nations are expected to show unequivocal support in pledges at the Global Vaccine Summit in London on Thursday.
The Vaccine Alliance, Gavi, has urged governments and the private sector to donate for vaccinations to save millions of lives in the poorest countries and protect the world from future outbreaks of infectious diseases.
Representatives of more than 50 countries, including dozens of heads of state and government, will come together to raise an expected $7.4 billion (Dh27.1bn).
Donations will be used to protect children from deadly diseases such as polio, diphtheria and measles, and save up to eight million lives, but will also bolster the health of the global economy.
“I hope this summit will be the moment when the world comes together to unite humanity in the fight against disease,” UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to tell those taking part.
“I urge you to join us to fortify this lifesaving alliance and inaugurate a new era of global health co-operation, which I believe is now the most essential shared endeavour of our lifetimes.”
With more than six million cases of coronavirus worldwide, healthcare systems around the globe have been pushed to breaking point.
There are fears that the additional pressure of Covid-19 could allow outbreaks of other diseases and threaten the global population at its most vulnerable.
Gavi is already working with partners to prepare for the introduction of a future coronavirus vaccine and ensure it can be delivered at scale around the world.
Coronavirus in the Middle East
