THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Hello, everyone.\u00a0 Thank you for joining together for the second Global COVID-19 Summit.\u00a0 You know, and a special thank you to the leaders of Belize, Germany, Indonesia, Senegal for \u2014 for cohosting this summit with the United States.<\/p>\n
Today, we\u2019re again uniting countries around the world with leaders from the private sector, civil society, and the philanthropic community to carry forward the vital work on fighting COVID-19 everywhere \u2014 not just at home, everywhere.<\/p>\n
You know, when we met last, in September, we were focused on critical and urgent challenges.\u00a0 And I\u2019m incredibly proud of the work that have \u2014 that we\u2019ve done together over the last several months and the commitments that we made \u2014 have made to \u2014 to vaccinate the world.<\/p>\n
You know, for our part, the United States has provided more than $19 billion to help countries fight COVID-19 all around the world.\u00a0 We\u2019ve provided lifesaving medicines, oxygen, tests, equipment, supplies, and partnered with countries to improve their capacity to manufacture vaccines as well.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve delivered more than 500 million vaccines to 115 different countries.\u00a0 And we\u2019re going to continue to work with COVAX to deliver another 500 million doses \u2014 all part of the pledge we made to donate 1 billion doses of vaccine to the most vulnerable in the world.<\/p>\n
You know, all \u2014 you know, all this is completely free.\u00a0 No \u2014 no strings attached.<\/p>\n
But, you know, there\u2019s still so much left to do.\u00a0 This pandemic isn\u2019t over.<\/p>\n
Today, we mark a tragic milestone here in the United States: one million COVID deaths, one million empty chairs around the family dinner table \u2014 each irreplaceable.\u00a0 Irreplaceable losses, each leaving behind a family, a community forever changed because of this pandemic.<\/p>\n
My heart goes out to all of those who are struggling, asking themselves, \u201cHow do I go on without him?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cHow do I go on without her?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cWhat will we do without them?\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s grief shared by people across all of our nations.<\/p>\n
Around the world, many more millions have died.\u00a0 Millions of children have been orphaned.\u00a0 And with thousands still dying every day, now is the time for us to act \u2014 all of us \u2014 together.<\/p>\n
We all must do more.\u00a0 We must honor those we have lost by doing everything we can to prevent as many deaths as possible.<\/p>\n
Today, we\u2019re at a new stage in fighting this pandemic, facing an evolving set of challenges.\u00a0 We have to double down on our efforts to get to \u2014 get shots in people\u2019s arms, country by country, community by community; ensure we have reliable and predictable supplies of vaccines and boosters for everyone, everywhere; expand access globally to tests and treatments; and we have to prevent complacency.<\/p>\n
This summit is an opportunity to renew our efforts, to keep our foot on the gas when it comes to getting this pandemic under control and preventing future health crises.<\/p>\n
Collectively, we are making significant new commitments to help keep up the fight against COVID-19 in 2022, protect the most vulnerable populations, and prepare for the next health crisis, because there will be others.<\/p>\n
You know, and the United States is going to continue to do our part.<\/p>\n
Today I\u2019m announcing the United States will share critical COVID-19 technologies through the World Health Organization COVID-19 Technology Access Pool.\u00a0 We\u2019re making available health technologies that are owned by the United States government, including stabilized spike protein that is used in many COVID-19 vaccines.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re standing up a new pilot program, working with the Global Fund, to expand access to rapid testing and antiviral treatments for people in harder-to-reach areas.<\/p>\n
And we\u2019re increasing our support for a new Pandemic Preparedness and Global Health Security fund that will be established at the World Bank this summer with $450 million in seed funding.<\/p>\n
I particularly want to commend Indonesia and Italy for their leadership in helping make this fund a reality.\u00a0 And I\u2019m encouraging other leaders to join me in \u2014 in upping their commitments.<\/p>\n
You know, we\u2019re going to face, together, global health crises.\u00a0 This is not the last one we\u2019ve had.\u00a0 It\u2019s not a question of \u201cif,\u201d it\u2019s a question of \u201cwhen.\u201d<\/p>\n
So we have to invest now.\u00a0 Now.\u00a0 We have to secure political commitments now.\u00a0 We have to start working to prevent the next variant and the next pandemic now.\u00a0 And that\u2019s \u2014 and, you know, that\u2019s going to require all of us \u2014 all of us to do more.<\/p>\n
I encourage every leader to ask yourself, \u201cWhat more can I do?\u00a0 How can we work more closely together to help more people?\u00a0 How can we save more lives?\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why I continue to call on Congress here at home to take the urgent action to provide emergency COVID-19 funding that is vital to protect Americans, to make sure we\u2019re \u2014 that we maintain our \u2014 our supplies of COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines, including next-generation vaccines that are being developed.<\/p>\n
The request also includes $5 billion to keep up our global partnership in the fight against COVID-19 and sustain our efforts to get ever- \u2014 get shots in people\u2019s arms all around the world, expand access to treatment, and save lives everywhere.<\/p>\n
We can do this.\u00a0 We can control COVID-19.\u00a0 We can start to build a better, healthier, and more secure future today if we all do our part and if we step up together.<\/p>\n
So thank you for responding to this fight.\u00a0 And most especially, thank you for all the doctors, nurses, and community health workers, and scientists, and aid workers, and anyone and everyone on the frontlines fighting this pandemic, saving lives every single day.\u00a0 We owe you.<\/p>\n
Thank you.\u00a0 And God bless you all.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Source: The White House<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"