Covid-19 Vaccine: 8 top candidates emerge, WHO appeals for more funding

The World Health Organization chief has disclosed that there are about seven to eight “top” candidates for a vaccine to combat the novel coronavirus.

This was disclosed on Monday May 11, 2020, by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

According to UN agency’s chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO is appealing for more funding to accelerate vaccine development for about seven to eight “top” candidates.

“The $8 billion will not be enough, and additional funds will be needed to speed up the development of a vaccine, but more importantly to produce enough to make sure that this vaccine reaches everyone and there’s no one be left behind,” he said.

“An accelerated effort is under way, helped by 7.4 billion euros ($8 billion) pledged a week ago by leaders from 40 countries, organizations and banks for research, treatment and testing,” he added.

Meanwhile, WHO disclosed that while new cases are declining in Western Europe, they are increasing in Eastern Europe, Africa, southeast Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and other regions.

Since January, WHO has been working with thousands of researchers all over the world to accelerate and track vaccine development from developing animal models to clinical trial designs and everything in between.