South Korea¡¯s Ambassador to Norway Seo Min-jeong (left) and Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, pose after signing a new financial contribution agreement at CEPI¡¯s headquarters in Oslo on Dec. 4. (Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Norway)
The South Korean governme
¸±°ÔÀÓ¶æ nt has announced a new contribution of $18.9 million to support efforts for pandemic preparedness and to bolster international health security.
According to Seoul¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affai
¿ìÁÖÀüÇԾ߸¶Åä°ÔÀÓ rs, the funds will be allocated as part of South Korea¡¯s annual financial contribution to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. With the latest announcement, South Korea¡¯s cumulative co
¸±°ÔÀÓȲ±Ý¼º ntributions to CEPI stand at $70 million.
CEPI is a global partnership that aims to accelerate the development of vaccines and response tools within 100 days of identifying new viral threats
¸±°ÔÀÓ¹Ù´ÙÀ̾߱â , including Middle East respiratory syndrome, Lassa fever, Chikungunya and the hypothetical "Disease X."
The agreement on the new funding was signed on Thursday at CEPI¡¯s headquarters in Osl
¹Ù´ÙÀ̾߱â¿À¸®Áö³Î o, Norway, during a meeting between South Korean Ambassador to Norway Seo Min-jung and CEPI CEO Richard Hatchett.
¡°Korea¡¯s continued investment in CEPI is a powerful commitment to that readiness, and sends a strong, urgent message to the world that preparedness matters,¡± Hatchett said, stressing that pandemics are inevitable, but that the world ¡°cannot afford to be caught off guard again.¡±
¡°With its exceptional R&D capacity and proven ability to mobilize fast, Korea is powering a partnership that brings us closer to one shared ambition: ending pandemics for good.¡±
At the event, Seo welcomed the progress of CEPI¡¯s 2.0 strategy and reaffirmed South Korea¡¯s strong commitment to pandemic preparedness. She emphasized the government¡¯s intention to continue close cooperation with CEPI and highlighted the significance of Hatchett¡¯s planned visit to Korea next year, expressing hope that it will further strengthen bilateral efforts.
South Korea¡¯s latest contribution will support CEPI¡¯s public-private partnership initiatives through the end of 2026, after which the organization is set to launch a new strategic phase. The upcoming CEPI 3.0 strategy will focus on enhancing global readiness to deliver on its "100-day mission" ? developing effective countermeasures within three months of identifying a new infectious threat.
According to CEPI, achieving this timeline would represent a significant improvement compared to the development of the first COVID-19 vaccines. The novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 was first identified in January 2020, with vaccines beginning to roll out in December 2020. ±âÀÚ admin@slotmega.info