EU to hold donor conference on coronavirus vaccine

The European Union is set to hold an online fund-raising conference next month to support the creation of a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.

The conference will be held on May 4 in close coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a joint press conference with European Council President Charles Michel on Wednesday.

A vaccine “is our collective best shot at beating the virus. To support this global initiative, funding is needed,” she added.

“I hope that countries and organizations all over the world will respond to this call.”

Separately, the EU’s top foreign policy official, Josep Borrell, condemned a decision by President Donald Trump of the United States to suspend Washington’s funding of the WHO.

“Deeply regret US decision to suspend funding to WHO,” Borrell said in a tweet. “There is no reason justifying this move at a moment when their efforts are needed more than ever to help contain and mitigate the coronavirus pandemic.”

The WHO has been leading the global fight against the pandemic. Its experts have been working to develop vaccines against the COVID-19, issuing guidelines on specific measures to contain the spread.

The US’s freezing of its funding now risks undercutting the WHO’s measures as the outbreak grows in almost every country.