Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.

Thank you for joining today’s meeting of the ACT-A Facilitation Council. 

As you know, we face a two-track pandemic.

The countries that are now opening up their societies are those that have largely controlled the supply of lifesaving of personal protective equipment, tests, oxygen, and especially vaccines.

Meanwhile, countries without access to sufficient supplies are facing waves of hospitalisations and death. This is being compounded by virus variants.

Our meeting today is an opportunity to discuss concrete plans to help address urgent needs and scale-up lifesaving tools.

There are signs of hope.                       

Countries are starting to share vaccines through COVAX, but we need more and we need them faster. 

The COVAX Facility Advanced Market Commitment mechanism is fully funded for 2021, but there are still substantial risks in the vaccine supply forecast.

The IMF, World Bank, WTO and WHO are working together to find practical ways to track, coordinate and advance the delivery of lifesaving tools to low- and middle-income countries.

The announcement of a new mRNA manufacturing hub in South Africa is a positive step forward but we need manufacturers to help by sharing know-how and accelerating technology transfer.

And while we have progress in controlling the pandemic, it remains in a very dangerous phase.

Our only way out is to support countries in the equitable distribution of PPE, tests, treatments and vaccines.

It is not rocket science, nor charity. It is smart public health and in everyones’ best interest.

Now, it is my honor to welcome our co-Chairs to make their opening remarks: the Honourable Minister Kubayi, Acting Minister of Health, of South Africa; and the Honorable Minister Mr Dag Ulstein, Minister of International Development of Norway.

I thank you.

Over to you, Minister Kubayi.