How to contribute to the ACT Accelerator

How to contribute to the ACT Accelerator

← The ACT-Accelerator
WHO/L. Mackenzie
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The funding challenge

Status

The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, with new variants and case surges affecting many countries around the world. Health workers and systems are stretched beyond capacity, and thousands of people are becoming sick and dying from COVID-19.

We have seen the power of vaccines to protect vulnerable people, the lifesaving impact of access to oxygen and treatments, the importance of testing to control transmission and inform effective responses, and the necessity of PPE to protect our health workers. But these tools are still not available to all communities and all people. 

As of the end of December 2021, more than 40 countries were yet to achieve 10% vaccine coverage and almost half of the 194 WHO member states missed the 40% vaccine coverage target. The global daily testing target of 1 per 1000 head of population is also not being met, with large disparities between low-income countries and high-income countries. This mix of low testing and low vaccination fuels the spread of new variants.

But there is a way out of the pandemic. Financing the ACT-Accelerator is a global health, economic and political imperative. Fully funding the US$ 23.4 billion new ACT-Accelerator Strategic Plan and Budget will play a crucial role in meeting global targets and delivering the tools that are needed by countries. 

In addition, there is a need for US$ 24.6 billion for procurement and in-country capacities to deliver vaccines and other tools beyond the work of the ACT-Accelerator to ensure global targets are reached.

We will not be able to control the pandemic if the inequity in access and uptake of COIVD-19 tools continues. We all have a role to play. Global solidarity to break the inequity is not an option - it’s a necessity.   

How to contribute  

Individuals wishing to support ACT-Accelerator and the global COVID-19 response can contribute to:

Institutional donors can contribute directly to ACT-Accelerator partner agencies, which are listed at the end of this page. 

 

Impact

Contributions to the ACT-Accelerator have totaled US$ 18.9 billion as of October 2021 which was the end of the first ACT-Accelerator budget cycle. These contributions have been complemented by substantial vaccine dose donations. This funding has supported, in the first budget cycle:

  • research and development and product assessment of new therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics, 
  • market shaping and manufacturing such as technology transfer for the production of rapid tests, including reducing the prices of COVID-19 tools and products, 
  • securing, optioning or reception of donations of 2.8 billion vaccine doses, and 
  • procurement of 128 million tests, US$ 467 million worth of medical oxygen supplies, and USD 734 million worth of personal protective equipment (as of the end of October, 2021), and
  • delivery of 635 doses of vaccine, 61 million tests (as of the end of October 2021), US$ 132.4 million worth of treatments, oxygen and related supplies, and US$ 414 million worth of PPE (as of Dec 8, 2021).

The ACT-Accelerator is the only global initiative that offers a comprehensive, integrated strategy to end the crisis everywhere. It has the structures in place to deliver tools where they are most needed. As of October 2021, 80% of the total supply of vaccines to low-income countries was from COVAX. Over 80% of tests performed in more than 20 countries were delivered through ACT-Accelerator agencies.

Tracking progress

Given the importance of transparency and accountability in the global response, a new Global COVID-19 Access Tracker has been launched. It draws together comprehensive data on progress to global targets for access and deployment of vaccines, tests, treatments and personal protective equipment, as well as on their financing.  Furthermore, the ACT-Accelerator’s Facilitation Council is establishing a Tracking and Accelerating Progress Working Group to monitor progress, identify bottlenecks and recommend action to accelerate access to tools. In addition, Quarterly Updates are published, detailing ACT-Accelerator achievements. 

Funding need

Vital to ending the acute phase of the pandemic, save 5 million lives in the coming year and prevent US$ 5.3 trillion in economic losses in the next 5 years is fully funding the ACT-Accelerator's 2022 budget of US$ 23.4 billion. 

With this support, the ACT-Accelerator will:

  • Support the vaccination objectives of 91 LICs in the COVAX Advance Market Commitment
  • Assist 144 countries to reach a minimum testing rate of at least 1 per 1000 people per day
  • Ensure 120 million COVID-19 patients have access to treatments including oxygen
  • Keep 2.7 million health workers safe with personal protective equipment.

In doing so, the ACT-Accelerator will contribute towards achieving the COVID-19 global coverage targets, including reaching 70% vaccination rates in every country by mid-2022.  This investment is urgent. With every month of delay in fully funding the ACT-Accelerator, the global economy stands to lose almost four times the 2022 ACT-Accelerator budget.

How to 'split the bill’ fairly

To address the funding shortfall, the Co-chairs of the ACT A Facilitation Council  – South Africa and Norway – together with its members, have developed a financial share proposal per country. This is crucial to secure a share of financing for ACT A across 55 countries as a global public good. You can read more about the methodology behind the calculation here. Contributions to ACT-A are monitored in the Access to COVID-19 Tools Funding Commitment Tracker.

 

9 December 2021

Case for investing in the ACT-Accelerator in 2022

The ACT-A Strategic Plan and Budget: US$ 23.4 billion

The ACT-Accelerator Strategic Plan and Budget, October 2021 to September 2022 lays out the new focus, strategic priorities, major scopes of work and funding needs for the ACT-Accelerator. The new strategic plan and budget reflect the decision to extend the work of ACT-Accelerator into 2022, acknowledging the substantial changes in ACT-A’s external operating environment and the evolving COVID-19 epidemiological situation.

This document was developed under the leadership and direction of the ACT-A Pillar Co-Conveners and Agency Leads in consultation with the broader ACT-A partnership, including the Facilitation Council.

Building on its unique structure, the ACT-Accelerator has new strategic priorities for the next 12 months. These include:

  • tracking overall gaps and barriers in access to COVID-19 tools;
  • helping to close global gaps in access to vaccines, tests, treatments and PPE; and
  • fully integrating Pillar delivery support with national COVID-19 response mechanisms.

 

 

Vaccine dose donations

Although progress has been made, there remains a shocking imbalance in the global distribution of vaccines.

Current supply constraints are having a significant impact on the ability to deliver on the target of vaccinating at least 70% of all countries’ population by June 2022.

To boost immediate availability of vaccines, doses shared from countries with substantial supply and equitably allocated through the COVAX facility are an important part of the solution for getting rapid, equitable access globally. However, to be useful to recipient countries, certain conditions need to be met.  Dose donations should be released in large volumes and in a predictable manner, without earmarking, with a minimum of 12 weeks shelf life when they arrive in country, with limited exceptions, with early notice of at least 4 weeks, and the donations should include ancillary costs.  Finally, countries should consider swapping delivery slots with COVAX 

The global failure to share vaccines equitably is not just fuelling a two-track pandemic- it is a threat to all nations.

The ACT-Accelerator – the only global, end-to-end solution to tackling the pandemic, from research to rollout – needs full funding.  Global coordination is the only way to defeat the virus.

Fully funding the ACT-A US$ 23.4 billion budget will play a crucial role in meeting global targets and delivering the tools that are needed to countries.

It makes global health security sense; it makes economic sense – and it has the potential to save 5 million lives.