Over $30 million has been pledged the World Health Organisation (WHO) via special fund in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic. The fund is being co-ordinated by the United Nations Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation with support from Transnational Giving Europe.

The funds contributed so far included pledges of approximately $25 million in addition 5.3 million from online donations according to latest figures.

The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund was launched on 13 March 2020 with major support already lined up, including from Facebook and Google who have instituted a matching scheme for funds raised through their platforms, while individual donors are also supporting the fund through http://www.COVID19ResponseFund.org.

‘We are at a critical point in the global response to COVID-19 – we need everyone to get involved in this massive effort to keep the world safe,’ said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. ‘We are immensely grateful to the UN Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation for coming forward to help us set up this fund. A lot of people and institutions have been saying they want to contribute to the fight against the novel coronavirus. Now they can.’

The fund, the first-of-its-kind, enables private individuals, corporations and institutions anywhere in the world to come together to directly contribute to global response efforts. Funds will go towards actions outlined in the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to enable all countries – particularly those most vulnerable and at-risk, and with the weakest health systems – to prepare for and respond to the COVID-19.