The ACT-A coordinating council aims to cooperate internationally on the basis of economic and investment conditions to fully finance the ACT-A program, mobilize political leadership and international support, actively mobilize more necessary resources, monitor resources and progress for rapid development, equitable distribution of vaccines and medical technologies against COVID-19, and treatment and diagnosis of COVID-19 for all health systems in countries.
A health worker conducts a COVID-19 test at Thanh Nhan Hospital. (Photo: VNA)
The ACT-A coordinating council is expected to operate for a period of 18 months, with 34 members comprising countries representing regional groups.
Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan led the Vietnamese delegation to attend the first online meeting of the ACT-A coordination council, held on September 10, to adjust ACT-A's plan as a global solution to end the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, and restore the health system and global growth.
Joining the Vietnamese delegation and addressing the meeting, Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, Head of the Permanent Representative Office of Vietnam to the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, stressed that Vietnam welcomed the initiative to establish the council to help promote balanced access to vaccines and COVID-19 response technologies; highlighted recent activities and efforts of Vietnam and ASEAN in responding to COVID-19; and affirmed the commitments of ASEAN member countries to continue to strengthen solidarity and international cooperation in response to this pandemic, especially the activities of the ACT-A coordinating council to speed up equitable access and affordable prices for vaccines and COVID-19 response tools, promoting post-pandemic recovery.
The meeting issued a statement of the ACT-A coordinating council, which emphasized that the ACT-A program was an integral part of the implementation of the 73rd World Health Assembly resolution and was responsive to the full commitment of G20 leaders on March 26. These programs and resolutions both emphasized the need for solutions to accelerate the development, and equitable and universal distribution of vaccines, diagnostic methods and COVID-19 treatments globally.
The ACT-A program, launched on April 24, seeks a global solution with the goals of providing equitably at least 2 billion doses of vaccine by the end of 2021, with a focus on priority groups; providing 245 periods of treatment and 500 million tests to low-middle-income countries between now and mid-2021, in addition to providing personal protection and ventilators to countries in need./.