G20 ministers set up joint force against future pandemics

ROME - Finance and health ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) agreed Friday to establish a joint task force to prepare for and prevent future pandemics.

The meeting, the first of its kind under the Italian presidency in bringing together G20 top officials to address both sanitary and financial issues, preceded the opening of the G20 summit, which is scheduled for Oct 30-31 in the Italian capital.

"We reiterate our commitment to bring the pandemic under control everywhere as soon as possible, put people at the center of preparedness and to strengthen our collective efforts to prepare for, prevent, detect, report, and respond to health emergencies," the G20 ministers said in a final communique.

Boosting efforts to strengthen the ongoing coordination between finance and health ministers of the G20 is "crucial," they said.

The task force will "enhance the collaboration and global cooperation on issues relating to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, thus leaving the international community better prepared in the eventual case of future health threats outbreaks," they added.

The G20 ministers also reacted to the appeal made by the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this month for the international community, especially advanced economies, to ensure necessary funding for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign at global level.

The WHO has set two targets, namely to vaccinate at least 40 percent of the planet's population by the end of this year and 70 percent by mid-2022.

To help reach the goals, the G20 ministers pledged to "take steps to help boost the supply of vaccines and essential medical products and inputs in developing countries and remove relevant supply and financing constraints."