The pandemic is not over. While the summer of this year is very different from the summer of 2020, because we now have vaccines, treatments, and a better understanding of the virus, it's not enough. Every week, 15,000 people still die from Covid-19. Poorer countries still struggle to deploy vaccines, tests, diagnostics and other tools. And countries at all income levels remain woefully unprepared for the next pandemic, even though experts warn that its arrival is a matter of "when", not "if".
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, global leaders have acknowledged the need for greater coordination, collaboration, and collective financing to support improved pandemic preparedness and response (PPR).
Following the recommendations of a High-Level Independent Panel, the G20 agreed last June to establish a new Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) -- hosted by the World Bank, in partnership with the World Health Organization -- to help fill the US$10.5 billion (over 382 billion baht) annual gap in PPR financing.
