Vaccine Photo: VCG

 
The Australian government has committed 352 million Australian dollars (about 226 million U.S. dollars) towards the global effort to fight COVID-19 and to find a vaccine.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison pledged the funding in a video message to the Coronavirus Global Response International Pledging Event on Monday night local time.

"We're very pleased to be part of this important event today, and I want to thank the European Commission for bringing us all together for this important purpose," Morrison said in his message.

"COVID-19 is putting us all to the test and it is a test we are all rising to. This is a great shared project by the peoples of the world with a clear purpose: to find that vaccine for COVID-19. A safe vaccine, available to all, affordable to all," Morrison said.

Morrison's commitment includes a funding already announced for Australian institutions that are working with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) including the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

The new funding includes 15 million Australian dollars (9.6 million U.S. dollars) for CEPI and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) to help develop COVID-19 vaccines and diagnostics.

"As well, here in Australia, we're also providing 337 million Australian dollars (217 million U.S. dollars) to fund COVID-19 research and development work on vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics and respiratory medicine," Morrison said.