Leaders stop short of global fund deal
Print Edition
THE Group of 20 world leaders yesterday committed to mobilizing resources to combat the Ebola epidemic that has killed some 5,000 people, but stopped short of agreeing to a global pandemic fund.
The G20 issued a statement saying all members are “committed to do what is necessary to ensure the international effort can extinguish the outbreak and address its medium-term economic and humanitarian costs.”
Helen Szoke, chief executive of Oxfam Australia, said a lack of urgency and specific commitments in the statement meant there was a risk a UN target to treat 70 percent of cases by December 1 would not be met.
“I think it’s reasonable that all of the G20 countries are explicit about what their financial commitment can be both in the short-term and the longer term,” Szoke said.
The World Bank has proposed setting up a global pandemic emergency facility.
Jim Yong Kim, its president, said on Friday that the idea of a fund to quickly respond to any health crisis had received interest from some leaders. Funds could be raised on the international bond markets, he said.
The G20 statement called on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to explore new flexible mechanisms to address the economic effects of future comparable crises.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
