(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Doha: The Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani addressed the World Vaccine Summit 2020 in London through video conferencing today and pledged $20 million aid for the summit, which aims to mobilise US$ 7.4 billion to protect the next generation with vaccines, reduce disease inequality and create a healthier, safer and more prosperous world.
In his speech H H Amir reiterated Qatar's support to WHO in fighting COVID-19 epidemic.
Full transcript of his speech:
The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented challenge and a threat to all humanity, on all levels.
In the absence of an effective vaccine or treatment, some countries and communities found themselves facing two choices.
Both are bitter. Either to protect themselves by lockdowns, which might paralyse the economy, or not to sacrifice the economy, but risk people's lives.
Some countries chose to compromise by coexisting with the pandemic and fighting it at the same time.
This crisis showed that international cooperation and the exchange of experiences are indispensable.
This requires increasing the mutual efforts to eradicate Covid-19 using effective vaccines and medication, and getting ready to confront future pandemics in the long run.
Qatar did its best to respond quickly to the serious ramifications of the crisis and went above and beyond, taking preventive actions and measures to limit its impact, and to protect its citizens and residents.
Considering the significance of human solidarity in these testing times we offered over 20 countries around the world medical aid, including medical euipment and supplies, and building field hospitals, in addition to 140 million dollars in financial aid to the multilateral healthcare institutions that work in vaccine development and guarantee the effectiveness of medical care, especially in developing countries.
In this context, we invite the international community to work together to guarantee health equity regarding access to medication and the required medical equipment for all countries.
Qatar renews its support to the World Health Organization for its outstanding efforts in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and reinforcing the global preparedness to combat any future pandemics.
I would like to declare Qatar's new commitment to provide an additional $20 million in aid.
Finally, I would like to express my gratitude once more to the United Kingdom for organizing this conference hoping that it will achieve its desires outcomes.
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