Funds to End Pandemic Amount to 'Rounding Error' for Rich Nations, WHO Head Says

The $16 billion in funding needed to provide low-income countries with better access to Covid-19 vaccines, tests and treatments represents a “rounding error” in rich countries’ budgets, according to the head of the World Health Organization. Finance ministers of wealthy nations have indicated the money needed would be a relatively insignificant commitment, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in an appeal to wealthy nations to fill the funding gap for the WHO’s ACT-Accelerator plan budget for 2022. “If there is commitment, it can be done,” Tedros said at a media briefing Wednesday. “If the finance ministers call it a rounding error I don’t think they are wrong because that is their job.”